Police retract claim that Astroworld security guard was injected in neck with drugs

A claim that a security guard was injected with drugs at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival has been retracted by police.

Eight people between the ages of 14 and 27 were killed and more than 300 were injured after a large crowd surged towards the stage during Travis Scott’s headline performance at the Houston, Texas, festival last Friday (November 5).

A security guard working at the event claimed that he had been injected in the neck with a mystery substance, after supposedly feeling a prick in his neck while leaning over to restrain an attendee.

After the police said they were investigating the claim, publications ran with headlines stating that somebody had been stabbing Astroworld attendees with drugs, with TMZ writing: “A source connected to Astroworld tells TMZ, someone in the crowd went crazy and began injecting people with some sort of drug.”

However, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner has confirmed at a press conference that the guard has now clarified that he was not injected with drugs.

He said: “We did locate that security guard. His story is not consistent with that. He says he was struck in his head, he went unconscious and he woke up in the security tent. He says that no one injected drugs into him. So we want to clear that part up.”

Houston Police said the incorrect information was based on what medical staff at Astroworld had told officers.

Finner previously said: “We do have a report of a security officer…who was reaching over to restrain a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck.

“He went unconscious and they administered Narcan and he was revived. The medical staff did notice a prick that was similar to if somebody was trying to inject.”

Narcan is a medicine that is used to treat narcotic overdoses.

‘Sicko Mode’ rapper Scott and Astroworld promoters Live Nation have been hit by a number of lawsuits in relation to the tragedy including a suit on behalf of a nine-year-old boy who is in a medically induced coma after falling off his father’s shoulders at the event.

Another attendee, a 22-year-old woman, has also been declared brain dead after sustaining injuries in the crush.

Scott, 30, has been accused of continuing his performance for nearly 40 minutes while unconscious bodies were pulled from the crowd.

The rapper reportedly was unaware that any fatalities had occurred, with sources claiming he was only told of the severity of the situation while he attended an after-party at sports bar Dave & Busters.

Scott, real name Jacques Webster, has reportedly pledged to pay for the funeral expenses for the victims.