The grand jury’s deliberation ended around 2 p.m. and a decision was reached, Scott’s attorney, Kent Shaver, said.
He said the grand jury outcome, which Shaffer is not aware of, will not be announced until the Harris County Clerk’s Office receives the grand jury papers. The looming decision comes 19 months after the annual Scott Fest at NRG Park saw 10 people slashed to death and hundreds more injured. It may be nearly 5 p.m. before the grand jury’s decision is announced.
Prosecutors and Houston police detectives linked to the investigation into the killer concert were seen coming and going from a room reserved for grand jury proceedings in the morning. Scott’s attorney and the defense attorney for the festival’s director, Brent Silberstein, stopped periodically on the third floor in the criminal courthouse to check on the grand jury’s progress.
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Christopher Downey, who is representing Silberstein, said his client is among those facing an indictment.
“I don’t know their attitude towards my clients or anyone else,” Downey said.
Schafer said he did not believe there was evidence to bring charges against Scott.
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Concert-goers flocked to the stage area minutes after 9 p.m. on November 5, 2021, as rapper, Scott, began his performance. The concert turned serious when the crowd crowded together. Hundreds were unable to move and struggled to breathe.
Police radio traffic revealed that officers spotted warning signs of the deadly situation but struggled for nearly half an hour to assess the full extent of the danger. Within half an hour, as the fans fled, the authorities realized what had happened.
Several people were trampled and others were lost at the front of the platform.
The concert didn’t end until 10:10 p.m., about an hour after Scott had begun his performance.
Whatever the grand jury decides, the plaintiffs’ filing of a criminal case shows that the Houston police investigation into the concert has made great strides. Meanwhile, local government officials have made little progress passing new standards or regulations to change how large events are held, the Houston Chronicle reported one year after the ceremony.
A task force appointed by Governor Greg Abbott published a report on the concert, which was riddled with errors.
A ban from the judge presiding over the civil case prohibited the surviving victims, their families, and their attorneys from speaking publicly.
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