The eight victims who died during Travis Scott‘s Astroworld Festival included a dancer, an aspiring border agent, a student athlete, a computer programming student, a district manager at AT&T, a marketer and a pair of best friends.
Ranging in age from 14 to 27, the names of those who died at the Houston festival were released on Monday after all of their families had been notified. Though autopsies have been performed, the manner of death for the eight individuals has not been determined yet.
The festival turned tragic on Friday night during Scott’s set when the crowd of 50,000 people surged, resulting in chaos and panic and leaving eight dead and many injured. According to the Associated Press, as of Sunday morning, 13 people remained hospitalized.
The families of victims shared stories about their loved ones on social media and with journalists at the AP and the Houston Chronicle. Read them below.
Danish Baig, 27
Danish Baig attended Astroworld with his fiancée, Olivia Swingle, and younger brother, Basil Baig. He was a district manager for AT&T and had a large wedding to Swingle planned for next year.
“I have so much pain in my heart,” Basil Baig told the Chronicle. “He was everything in the world to me.”
Basil Baig was separated from his brother and Swingle during the show, and could not get into contact with them as their phones were knocked to the ground, he told the Chronicle. Swingle was also hospitalized for her injuries.
“They tried to do CPR on him. But by the time they got to the hospital, he was dead,” Basil Baig told the Chronicle. “I didn’t see the concert (organizers) doing anything to help. And Travis Scott just kept telling people to rage. We were nobodies to them.”
Swingle paid tribute to Danish Baig in a Facebook post, writing: “My heart is destroyed and my soul was taken from me. I was genuinely loved, I had someone that loved me more then anything in this world & not everyone gets to experience that kind of love. I am in Hell. I lost the love of my life, & I have so much I want to say but I cannot put it into words at this time. My baby, my love gave his life to save mine & I will spend the rest of my life making sure he gets the justice he deserves.”
Rudy Pena, 23
Rudy Pena studied criminology at Laredo College and had a goal of becoming a Border Patrol officer, according to the Chronicle.
“My brother was the sweetest person, friendly, outgoing. He had many friends because he was always there for everyone,” his sister, Jennifer Pena, told the Chronicle.
Madison Dubiski, 23
Madison Dubiski was a “super bright, uplifting and just an all-around sweet girl,” her former classmate Lauren Vogler told the Chronicle. “I cheered with her when we were younger, and she was always so encouraging. She was definitely the life of the party and loved by so many people.”
Dubiski graduated in 2017 from Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas. She attended the University of Mississippi and worked in marketing and advertising, according to the Chronicle. Dubiski attended Astroworld with her younger brother, Ty Dubiski, but they were separated amid the chaos.
Franco Patiño, 21
Franco Patiño, who traveled from Illinois for the festival with his best friend from high school, was studying mechanical engineering at the University of Dayton. His father, Julio Patiño, “described his son as a charismatic, energetic leader who was active in his community and intent on helping people with disabilities,” according to the Chronicle.
Julio Patiño told the Chronicle that his son helped rescue his mother from a car accident two years ago, and aimed to create a device to help his mother walk again.
“He loved his mom,” Patiño told the AP. “He said everything that he was doing, it was trying to help his mom — the entire goal.”
Jacob Jurinek, 20
Jurinek went with Patiño to the concert. The two were best friends growing up in Naperville, Ill., according to the Chronicle.
He was a junior at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and was pursuing “his passion for art and media,” his family told the AP. His father, Ron Jurinek, described his son as having a “larger-than-life personality.”
“We’re comforted by the fact that the hundreds of people Jake touched over the years will carry a piece of his spirit with them,” Ron Jurinek told the Chronicle. “We are all devastated and are left with a huge hole in our lives.”
John Hilgert, 14
John Hilgert, a Memorial High School freshman, arrived to the concert early to secure a prime spot, according to the Chronicle.
“Everything about that night was a tragedy,” Tracy Faulkner, the mother of one of Hilgert’s classmates who had known him since his childhood, said to the Chronicle. “John was a good student and athlete and so polite. He was the sweetest and smartest young man.”
Axel Acosta, 21
Axel Acosta was a computer programming student at Western Washington University, the Chronicle reported. He had traveled alone from Washington to Texas for the show. His father, Edgar Acosta, and aunt, Cynthia Acosta, flew into Houston on Sunday night to meet with their attorney.
“We are coming to Houston because we need to be near Axel,” Cynthia Acosta told the Chronicle. “This should not have happened. Axel went to the concert to have fun. We had no idea it wasn’t safe. We need to know what happened and ask that if anyone has information, please contact our attorney.”
Brianna Rodriguez, 16
According to the Chronicle, Brianna Rodriguez loved to dance. A junior at Heights High School in Houston, Rodriguez performed with the school dance team.
“You were the light to this house. Your music playing, your dancing and most of all, your loudness,” her father, Osvaldo Rodriguez, wrote on social media, according to the Chronicle. “RIP my baby girl. Daddy will see you soon.”
A GoFundMe page set up by her relative Iris Rodriguez reads: “Dancing was her passion and now she’s dancing her way to heaven’s pearly gates.”
