Dallas boy, 9, is youngest of 10 killed at Houston festival

A promising college student who will graduate this spring. A visitor from Washington State. And a 9 year old boy who had been in a coma for over a week.

The death toll from a mass onslaught during a performance by Travis Scott at the Astroworld music festival in Houston rose to 10 on Sunday. The youngest victim is also the youngest, 9-year-old Ezra Blount from Dallas, who has been in medical conditions since November 5th Coma.

The dead were between 9 and 27 years old. Hundreds more were injured.

At the sold-out event, attended by around 50,000 fans, city officials are investigating what triggered the pandemonium. Scott, a rapper known for his energetic concerts, said he would pay the victims’ funeral expenses.

“YOUR PRECIOUS YOUNG SON”

Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Blount family, said in a press release on Sunday evening that he was “obliged to seek answers and justice on behalf of the family.”

“The Blount family mourn the incredible loss of their precious little son tonight,” said Crump. “This shouldn’t have been the result of taking your son to a concert, which should have been a happy celebration. Ezra’s death is absolutely heartbreaking. “

Treston Blount, Ezra’s father, described what happened on November 5th in a post on a GoFundMe page he set up to help cover Ezra’s medical expenses. He said Ezra was sitting on his shoulders when a crowd crushed her. The father passed out and when he came to, Ezra went missing, Blount said. A frantic search followed until Ezra was finally found seriously injured in the hospital.

According to a lawsuit filed by his family against Scott and the event organizer, Live Nation, the child suffered severe brain, kidney and liver damage after being “kicked, kicked and trampled and almost bruised to death.” The Blount family is demanding at least $ 1 million in damages.

‘SUPER ADHESIVE OF THE FAMILY’

Bharti Shahani, a high performing student at Texas A&M University, died Wednesday night, attorney James Lassiter said during a family press conference.

Shahani had been hospitalized since she was critically injured at the concert.

Bharti’s relatives described her as diligent in her studies of electronics and systems engineering and as someone who always thought of others – including the fact that she signed up for an organ donation after her death.

Astroworld should be a rare escape, said her sister Namrata Shahani.

“For the first time in her life, she just wanted to have fun and that was taken from her,” said Namrata.

Namrata said her sister’s last words were, “Are you okay?”

Her cousin Mohit Bellani also attended the concert. He said Shahani had two heart attacks on the way to the hospital. “Bharti was the glue of the family. She was the super glue of the family, ”he said.

“LOVE HIS MOTHER”

Franco Patino, 21, was working on a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton with a minor in biomechanics of human movement, his father Julio Patino told The Associated Press. He was a member of Alpha Psi Lambda, a Hispanic interest group, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and worked on an engineering cooperation program.

Patino described his son as a charismatic, energetic leader who was active in his community and committed to helping people with disabilities. His son was working on a new medical device and wanted to help his mother walk again after she was seriously injured in a car accident in Mexico two years ago, Patino said.

In tears, Patino described how his son – who enjoyed weightlifting, soccer and rugby – used his strength to break open a door and free his mother from the rubble.

“He loved his mother,” said Patino. “He said everything he did, he tried to help his mother. The whole goal. “

Julio Patino, of Naperville, Illinois, was in London on business when the phone rang at around 3 a.m. He picked up the phone and heard his wife Teresita cry. She said that someone from a hospital called about Franco and that a doctor would call her soon. After 30 minutes, she called the doctor back on the line.

“The doctor told us that our son had died,” said Patino.

Patino said the last time he spoke to his son was around 2 p.m. Friday when he reassured his father that he was fine.

“I just said, ‘Okay, just be careful,'” said Patino.

“BIG HOLE IN OUR LIFE”

Jacob “Jake” Jurinek, 20, was a junior at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale where he “pursued his passion for the arts and the media,” his family said in a statement on Sunday. He was just before his 21st birthday.

According to Patino’s father Julio Patino, he attended the concert with Patino, his friend and former high school football teammate. He was very close to his family and was referred to as “Big Jake” by his younger cousins.

He is missing from his father, Ron Jurinek, with whom Jake was particularly close after his mother’s death in 2011.

“In the ten years that followed, Jake and Ron were inseparable – attending the White Sox and Blackhawks games, sharing their love of professional wrestling, and spending weekends with extended family and friends in Jake’s favorite place, the family home in southwest Michigan,” it says mentioned in the family declaration.

“We are all devastated and have a huge hole in our lives,” added his father Ron Jurinek in an email statement.

“GOOD STUDENT, ATHLETE, SO POLITE”

Memorial High School ninth grader John Hilgert, 14, was the youngest of the dead. In his memory over the weekend, mourners began tying green ribbons around trees at school.

He was at the concert with classmate Robby Hendrix, whose mother Tracy Faulkner spoke to the Houston Chronicle. The guys were hoping to get a good spot to watch the show.

“Everything that night was a tragedy,” Faulkner told the newspaper. “John was a good student and athlete and so polite. He was the sweetest and smartest young man. “

‘LIFE OF PARTY’

Madison Dubiski, 23, lived in Houston. She was a college cheerleader in high school and a member of a nonprofit group called the National Charity League, according to a former classmate who spoke with the Houston Chronicle.

“She was definitely the life of the party and was loved by so many people,” Lauren Vogler told the newspaper.

She was her mother’s best friend and loved watching her brother exercise, said family friend Claudia Sierra.

‘HARD WORKING MAN’

Mirza “Danish” Baig, who identified himself as the district manager of AT&T on Facebook and appeared to be a loyal fan of the Dallas Cowboys, was among those who died at the concert, his brother Basil Baig said on Facebook.

“He was (an) innocent young soul who always put others in front of him. He was a hardworking man who loved his family and took care of us. He was there for everything right away. He always had a solution for everything, “Basil Baig told ABC News.

Baig’s funeral took place on Sunday in Colleyville, Dallas-Forth Worth area. Messages left by Basil Baig have not been returned.

District officials identified him as Mirza Baig, but his brother said on Facebook that he left with Danish. He was 27.

LOVE TO DANCE

Brianna Rodriguez’s family told People magazine that they were among those who died at the concert. She was 16, a Heights High School student and loved to dance, according to the family the magazine spoke to. Your family did not respond to a message from AP.

Outside of their school, pink ribbons and balloons graced the fence and spelled “Bri”.

“Brianna was someone who performed with the band and someone who could always make everyone smile,” the Heights High School band said in a tweet.

Her high school dance team remembered her in an Instagram post, saying that she had been with the group for three years, serving as the junior social officer and “always putting smiles on everyone’s face.

“She was a wonderful friend, teammate, dancer, sister, daughter and leader. The bulldog community is deeply saddened and will honor them in every possible way. We love you Brianna, ”the team said in the post.

INFORMATION STUDENT

Axel Acosta Avila, 21, studied computer science at Western Washington University. His father, Edgar Acosta, told KOMO-TV that his son was among the victims of the festival.

The school in Bellingham, Washington, issued a statement on Sunday: “After all, Axel was a young man with a dynamic future. We express our condolences to his family on this very sad day. “

Acosta Avila was originally identified by the family with the only last name, Acosta, but his father said his full name should be used on Monday.

Aspiring frontier agent

Rodolfo “Rudy” Pena, 23, from Laredo, Texas, was a student at Laredo College and wanted to be a border guard agent, said his friend Stacey Sarmiento. She described him as a human being. Officials identified him as Rodolfo Pena, but friends called him Rudy.

“Rudy was a close friend of mine,” she said. “We met in high school. He was an athlete. … He brought luck everywhere. “

“We all came to have a good time … it was just awful in there,” she added.

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Associated press writers Jamie Stengle and Juan Lozano in Houston contributed to this report. Chase reported from Dover, Delaware and Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey.

Randall Chase and Mike Catalini, The Associated Press

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