Youngest Astroworld Festival victim named as boy, 14, 27-year-old who gave life to save relative, dancer, 16, & student
THE youngest victim in the Astroworld Festival tragedy has been identified as a 14-year-old boy who died in the stampede.
John Hilgert was one of eight people who died at the Astroworld Festival in Houston Friday night when the 50,000-strong crowd surged forward as Travis Scott was performing.
John was a freshman at Houston’s Memorial High School who was a popular student and a keen baseball player.
The school’s principal Lisa Weir said in a letter to parents: “Our hearts go out to the student’s family and to his friends and our staff at Memorial. This is a terrible loss, and the entire MHS family is grieving today.
“Please keep the student's family in your thoughts and prayers as they face this tragedy.
“We will make counselors available to students next week to offer any help and support needed.”
John had texted his classmate Robby Hendrix, 15, Friday morning saying he had wanted to get to the event early so he could get a good spot, the reports.
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“Everything about that night was a tragedy,” said Tracy Faulkner, Hendrix’s mom who has known Hilgert since he was a boy. “John was a good student and athlete and so polite. He was the sweetest and smartest young man.”
“They were both in the same place at the same time and one came home and one we will never see,” Faulkner said.
John's baseball coach Justin Higgs also paid a tribute on Instagram.
He wrote: “RIP John Hilgert. He got the Call up to the Major Leagues by the Almighty! John made an impact on anyone who met him and they always remembered him. I have memories of John I’ll never forget.
“You had to love the kid. No option not to cause he was who he was. He loved the game of baseball. Was a privilege to coach this young man. Many prayers go out to any of his friends, teammates, and his family… especially Ms. Hilgert.
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“One of the nicest human beings I’ve ever met. John was an Angel the whole time I knew him… impacting others for good and he himself was a legend. The legend of John. Will meet again John. Till then watch over us my friend. Catcher, pitcher, shortstop, great kid. Lived his life to the fullest.”
Houston's medical examiner has also released a photo of an unidentified victim the authorities are trying to identify.
The man is believed to be in his early 20s, has short dark hair, a goatee, and was wearing white size 11 Nikes. He was six feet two inches tall and weighed 498 pounds.
Among the other victims were Danish Baig, 27, who had been trying to help a family member when he died, 21-year-old student Franco Patino, and schoolkids Brianna Rodriguez, 16, and John Hilgert, 14.
It comes as:
- Travis Scott spoke out in an emotional Instagram video
- Kylie and Kendall 'walked past bodies', a witness claimed
- Kylie shared videos of the festival with an ambulance in the crowd before sharing a post paying tribute to the victims
- Travis wrote an eerie message to fans before the show
Danish's brother described him as a "beautiful soul", and revealed he died trying to save his sister-in-law.
Basil Baid, who was also at the festival, said the event had been "managed poorly", and described people "pushing and shoving" in the chaos.
“My brother tried to save my sister-in-law from these horrendous acts that were being done to her in the process he lost his life,” Basil wrote on Facebook.
"I am lost of words and in true trauma from this event. I was there and I wasn't able to save my brother. People were hitting pushing and shoving."
He also said his brother's smile “would light up the room and that he put everyone before himself.
University of Dayton student Franco also lost his life at the concert, according to The
The Illinois native was a member of Alpha Psi Lambda, a Hispanic interest fraternity, and he worked in an engineering co-op program, school officials reportedly said.
Houston area high school student John Hilgert was the youngest victim of the melee at just 14, the
"John was a good student and athlete and so polite. He was the sweetest and smartest young man,” Tracy Faulkner, a friend’s mother who bought him his ticket, told the The Houston Times.
Houston schoolgirl, Brianna Rodriguez, 16, also perished in the disaster, according to
“Gone from our sites [sic], but never from our hearts,” her family wrote on Facebook.
“It is with profound sadness we lay to rest our beloved Brianna Rodriguez … Dancing was her passion and now she’s dancing her way to heaven’s pearly gates.”
Rudy Peña, from Laredo, was also among the victims, .
“My brother was the sweetest person, friendly, outgoing, he had many friends because he was always there for everyone,” sister Jennifer Peña told the paper, which could not confirm Rudy’s age.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said those who died were aged 14, 16, 21, 21, 23, 23, and 27, with the age of the eighth victim still unknown.
Addressing a press briefing in the early hours of this morning, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said: “We had at least eight confirmed fatalities today. We had scores of individuals injured at this event.”
Police were working to identify other victims and notify their families last night as the investigation into the catastrophe continued.
It comes as rapper Scott spoke out for the first time since the tragedy.
In videos posted to Instagram on Saturday, Scott was overcome with emotion as he gave a statement about his actions during the tragic first night of the Astroworld Festival.
"My fans really mean the world to me and I always wanna leave them with a positive experience and anytime I can make out anything that’s going on, I stop the show and help them get the help they need, you know?" he said.
The rapper, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II added that he is working with the proper authorities and is asking fans from the event to do the same.
"If you have any information, please just contact your local authorities. Everyone continue to just keep your prayers."
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And before the festival, Scott told festival-goers he would see them "on the other side" of his sell-out concert in a message tragically followed by a deadly stampede.
The words were emblazoned in LED lights behind the rapper as he performed on stage at the third annual Astroworld music festival at NRG Park in Houston on Friday.
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