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Inaki Bascaran, left, with his father Jose Bascaran in an undated photo. | Provided

“We’re still trying to comprehend that our Inaki isn’t coming home in the way we all desperately hoped he would,” Jose Bascaran, Inaki’s father, said in a statement. “There are not enough words of gratitude to capture the appreciation we have for everyone who helped in the search for our son.”

Family of a 23-year-old man whose body was found in the Chicago River after going missing on Halloween said Saturday they are still trying to comprehend how Inaki Bascaran died, but are thankful for the effort hundreds gave to locate him.

“We’re still trying to comprehend that our Inaki isn’t coming home in the way we all desperately hoped he would,” Jose Bascaran, Inaki’s father, said in a statement. “There are not enough words of gratitude to capture the appreciation we have for everyone who helped in the search for our son.”

Inaki Bascaran was reported missing in the early hours of Oct. 31 after leaving Celeste, a bar in the 100 block of West Hubbard Street, according to his father.

Friday night, Chicago police confirmed Bascaran’s body was recovered from the river near the 1000 block of South Wells Street.

Hundreds of volunteers assisted the family in their search, scouring the River North area and holding a candlelight vigil outside the young man’s Lake View apartment.

“While there are still many unknowns at this time, Inaki’s family and friends said they know one thing for sure: they are forever grateful for the love and support from every single person who touched this case,” according to a statement from Vantius, a private detective company the family hired to assist with the case.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not released a cause of death, pending further investigation.

Provided
Funeral services for Inaki Bascaran (left) will be held Nov. 10 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview.

Inaki Bascaran was at his apartment Oct. 30 with his friend, Kayli Fradin, watching scary movies before he left to meet a group of people at Celeste. He was last seen on surveillance camera leaving the club alone.

Inaki Bascaran told his roommate over Facetime that he was heading home, but he never returned, the family said previously.

“Inaki’s smile and energy just lit up a room,” Fradin said. “He had a big heart, always made people laugh, and loved soccer, shows like ‘The Office,’ and his dog, Max.”

Funeral services for Bascaran will be held Nov. 10, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview. The wake will take place from 3-7 p.m., with a mass beginning at 7 p.m.

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Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ws unharmed. | Khalid Mohammed / AP

An armed drone tried to hit his home in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, but the government said al-Kadhimi was unharmed.

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt with an armed drone that targeted his residence early Sunday and was unharmed, officials said.

Two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press that seven of his security guards were injured in the attack, which occurred in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone area. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give official statements.

The prime minister tweeted shortly after the attack: “The rockets of treason will not shake one bit of the steadfastness and determination of the heroic security forces.”

“I am fine and among my people. Thank God,” he wrote.

In a written statement, the government said the drone tried to hit al-Kadhimi’s home but that he was “unharmed and in good health.”

Residents of Baghdad heard the sound of an explosion followed by gunfire from the direction of the Green Zone, which houses foreign embassies and government offices.

The statement released by state-run media said the failed assassination attempt was with “an explosives-laden drone that tried to target his residence in the Green Zone.”

“The security forces are taking the necessary measures in connection with this failed attempt,” it said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which came amid a standoff between security forces and pro-Iran Shiite militias, whose supporters have been camped outside the Green Zone for nearly a month. That was after they rejected the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, in which they were the biggest losers.

On Friday, when the demonstrators marched toward the Green Zone, there was an exchange of fire in which one protester was killed. Dozens of security forces were injured. Al-Khadimi ordered an investigation to determine what sparked the clashes and who violated orders not to open fire.

The United States, the U.N. Security Council and others have praised the Oct. 10 election, which was mostly violence-free and without major technical glitches.

Following the vote, militia supporters had pitched tents near the Green Zone, rejecting the election results and threatening violence unless their demands for a recount were met.

The unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud have cast a shadow over the vote. The standoff with the militia supporters has also increased tensions among rival Shiite factions that could reflect on the street and threaten Iraq’s newfound relative stability.

The election was held months ahead of schedule in response to mass protests in late 2019, which saw tens of thousands in Baghdad and predominantly Shiite southern provinces rally against endemic corruption, poor services and unemployment. They also protested against the heavy-handed interference of neighboring Iran in Iraq’s affairs through Iran-backed militias.

The militias lost some popularity since the 2018 vote, when they made big election gains. Many hold them responsible for suppressing the 2019 protests and for challenging the state’s authority.

The biggest gains were made by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who won the largest number of parliament seats, 73 out of 329. While he maintains good relations with Iran, al-Sadr publicly opposes external interference in Iraq’s affairs.

The protests appeared to be aimed at pressuring al-Sadr to ensure that Iran-aligned factions are part of the next Cabinet. As the winner, al-Sadr’s bloc will seek coalition partners and name the prime minister.

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The second-year power forward had surgery on his left wrist last week, and has already been around his teammates watching film and at shootarounds. And while the organization thinks it’s important for him to stay attached for his own spirit, there’s other conditions to weigh.

Patrick Williams had surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left wrist last week.

The second-year power forward was already staying busy, showing up at the Advocate Center to watch film with the team on Friday, and on the sidelines during the Saturday morning shootaround, according to Bulls coach Billy Donovan.

Physically, he’ll be on the mend for months before the Bulls know if it’s season-ending or if he’ll have a chance to play again late in the regular season or into the postseason. Until then, however, the organization will be walking a fine line on how to handle his healing mentally.

“The injury is so recent, there’s certainly an outpouring of support that he feels, so he’s probably not thinking about it as much,” Donovan said of Williams. “Where it will get difficult is when we start to pass by. Once everyone has sent their condolences and asked how he’s doing, I think that’s when it gets important from the staff standpoint where we keep him engaged.”

The first decision they will have to make in keeping Williams engaged comes later this week, when the Bulls are off for a four-city west coast trip. Of course they want Williams staying upbeat by being around his teammates, but they also have his healing and health to weigh.

“We’ll have to figure out when we go out west what that looks like,” Donovan said. “You’d like him around the team but he’s going to have some difficulties sleeping, just because he has to pretty much keep that hand in a position where he really does no movement until he gets the cast off.

“That’s what the medical staff will talk about. We’ll have discussions on what is in his best interest there. It’s such a detailed surgery he went through you don’t want to get into anything that disrupts what’s been done. They may recommend against the travel.”

A discussion that hasn’t happened yet?

One that involved executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas getting into panic mode and feeling like he needs to start eyeing targets outside the organization to help with the frontcourt depth in Williams’ absence.

Donovan said that with the season so young, the daily conversations between coach and VP have focused on the players they have in-house.

“We haven’t talked about any of that stuff,” Donovan said. “Eight games in, these guys need time to play with each other. I think we’re both excited about the team. We haven’t talked about anything, ‘Hey going forward, let’s add this.’ None of that. It’s been more about our team and where we can get better.”

Post talk

Nikola Vucevic was well aware that his chances down in the low post have gone down this season, as Donovan and the coaching staff would rather see him operating at the top of the arc as a facilitator or out of pick-and-roll with this roster.

The way the All-Star center sees it, it’s still sets that play to his strengths, especially against opposing centers that would rather stay in the paint on the defensive end than have to come out and guard him in the screen game.

“Billy does want the ball to go through me a lot on the high post and play through that, especially if we don’t get much out of our initial action he wants me to flash to the ball and get actions out of that,” Vucevic said. “It’s pretty similar … something I’ve done for years to try and be more of a facilitator.”

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The Steelers are always a rough go on their home turf. | Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Also: College basketball begins, the USMNT takes on Mexico in World Cup qualifying and the Bulls host the star-studded Nets.

The Steelers haven’t lost a home game on “Monday Night Football” since 1991. Do you realize how long ago that was?

So long, Mike Tomlin wasn’t even their coach yet. Get this: Bill Cowher wasn’t, either. It’s hard to believe, but Hall of Famer Chuck Noll was still the guy — in his 23rd and final season.

So long, the Bears’ coach was still Mike Ditka. Their defense still included linemen named Richard Dent, William Perry and Steve McMichael. The quarterback? That was Jim Harbaugh, who, contrary to popular belief, most certainly did not wear khakis underneath his football pants.

That 1991 loss was so long ago, the Steelers have hosted 19 Monday-nighters since then and — amazingly — won them all. And so, Monday at Heinz Field, they’ll try to make it 20 for 20 with the Bears in town.

One night later, it arrives: day one of the college basketball season. Normally, I’d invite you to ignore the preseason rankings because things change so fast once the games start. It’s interesting, though, that last year’s preseason Top 25 had Gonzaga and Baylor in the top two spots. They met, of course, for the national title.

The top 10 on my preseason ballot: 1. Gonzaga, 2. Kansas, 3. Michigan, 4. UCLA, 5. Villanova, 6. Duke, 7. Purdue, 8. Kentucky, 9. Texas and 10. Memphis. Might as well add that my 11th-ranked team is Illinois.

Don’t forget to tell me how wrong I was.

Here’s what’s happening:

SUN 7

Packers at Chiefs (3:25 p.m., Fox-32)

You probably didn’t know this, but the Packers are without QB Aaron Rodgers. It seems he tested positive for COVID-19. Is it too late to announce this as breaking news?

Predators at Blackhawks (6 p.m., NBCSCH)

The Hawks no longer have a Jeremy Colliton problem, but they still have a 1-9-2 problem. It can’t be all on the coach that this team repeatedly shows up to the arena as ready to rock as Zamfir the pan flutist.

Titans at Rams (7:20 p.m., Peacock)

Derrick Henry was well on his way to a third straight NFL rushing title, but now he’s out with what might be a season-ending injury. Hello, Adrian Peterson? Let’s see if the old back has anything left in the tank.

MON 8

Nets at Bulls (7 p.m., NBCSCH, NBA)

Kevin Durant, James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge — even without busy researcher Kyrie Irving, the Nets still have the kind of team the Bulls aspire to become. Get out those measuring sticks.

Bears at Steelers (7:15 p.m., ESPN)

The Steelers were bums at 1-3. Now they’re pretty dang interesting at 4-3. QB Ben Roethlisberger has been at this NFL thing since Justin Fields was all of 5, for those of you scoring at home.

TUE 9

WBB: South Carolina at NC State (4 p.m., ESPN)

The No. 1-ranked Gamecocks and 6-5 star Aliyah Boston — the best big in the land — take on an enormous season-opening task against the No. 5 Wolfpack.

MBB: Kansas vs. Michigan State (6 p.m., ESPN)

Something is missing from this Champions Classic matchup: a Top 25 ranking for the Spartans, who are first among others receiving votes. How quickly that’ll change if they take down the No. 3 Jayhawks at Madison Square Garden.

MBB: Jackson State at Illinois (7 p.m., BTN)

The 11th-ranked Illini open against a relative lightweight, which is a nice way of saying Kofi Cockburn is going to dunk on everybody.

MBB: Duke vs. Kentucky (8:30 p.m., ESPN)

Maybe the Blue Devils and Wildcats, ranked ninth and 10th, respectively, just aren’t what they used to be? It’s Mike Krzyzewski’s final season, though, which means ESPN will obsess over him — great team or not — like he’s LeBron James for the next four-plus months.

WED 10

Ball State at Northern Illinois (6 p.m., ESPN2)

It’s a must win for the Huskies, who lead BSU by a game in the MAC West. Wednesday football: every now and then, a real gift.

MBB: Coppin State at DePaul (8 p.m., FS1)

It’s Game 1 of the Tony Stubblefield era. Will it be better than the Dave Leitao era? Or the Oliver Purnell era? Or the Jerry Wainwright era? Or the other Leitao era?

Heat at Lakers (9 p.m., ESPN)

Everybody’s ripping the Lakers, who likely are without James due to an abdominal injury. Miami’s Jimmy Butler, off to a career-best start, seems to have the stomach for a big season.

FRI 12

USMNT vs. Mexico (8 p.m., ESPN2, Univision)

The Americans have put themselves in a pretty good position to make the World Cup field, but they’d love to knock off El Tri, which sits atop the CONCACAF qualifying standings. Ten bucks to the first reader who knows what “CONCACAF” stands for.

Bulls at Warriors (9 p.m., ESPN)

Steph who? Man, it sure is nice to see the Bulls on national TV for a change. Curry and the red-hot Dubs do this kind of thing all the time.

SAT 13

Northwestern at Wisconsin (TBD, ESPN2)

Pat Fitzgerald is an impressive 5-6 against Wisconsin, but this Badgers defense is beyond nasty. So nasty, Fitz the middle linebacker would’ve been a perfect fit for it.

Notre Dame at Virginia (TBD)

How nasty is Virginia’s defense? So nasty, the Cavaliers gave up 66 points to BYU in their last game. Even basketball coach Tony Bennett would be horrified by that number.

Florida Gulf Coast at Loyola (1 p.m., NBCSCH)

We just love checking in on our favorite big lug, Cameron Krutwig. Can’t get enough of the guy. Wait, what? He’s playing pro ball overseas now? That’s going to take some getting used to.

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Loyola’s James Kreutz (10) celebrates with Michael Willimas (92) after scoring against Naperville Central. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Playoff wins at Naperville Central are not supposed to be easy. Loyola’s players expected a battle against the Redhawks on Saturday, but it never materialized.

Playoff wins at Naperville Central are not supposed to be easy. Loyola’s players expected a battle against the Redhawks on Saturday, but it never materialized.

The Ramblers were too big in the trenches for Naperville Central and cruised to a 36-7 win in the second round of the Class 8A state playoffs.

Quarterback Jack Stearney completed his first 12 passes of the game and the Loyola offense met little resistance on its first few drives.

“We were just able to run all over them,” Loyola running back Mike Regan said. “It’s easier than we thought but I’m glad we got out with the win.”

Regan had 19 carries for 85 yards. Stearney finished 16 of 19 for 150 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception. He had eight carries for 57 yards.

“Going in we thought it would be very close, similar to the Marist game,” Stearney sadi. “But the offensive line was rolling today. They were amazing.”

Linebacker James Kreutz came in as quarterback at the goal line and scored on two short touchdown runs in the first quarter. Stearney connected with Charlie Mahon for a 21-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter and running back Kyan Gibbs scored on an eight-yard run midway through the second quarter.

“This whole week we prepared nonstop,” Stearney said. “In the first half we scored on every drive. We were lights out. The line gave us great holes but I think in the second half we got a little ahead of ourselves mentally.

Kreutz was a tremendous force on defense. He deflected passes, knocked off a helmet with a devastating tackle and just created havoc all over the field.

“He’s probably the best pure football player I’ve ever coached,” Loyola coach John Holecek said. “He’s an animal. He’s all go, all the time. Even in practice.”

The lack of interest in Kreutz from college football programs is puzzling.

“He has a couple of schools interested, maybe Southeast Missouri,” Holeceks said. “Illinois is calling him but there is no offer. People are calling him but there are no offers. They don’t think he’s big enough. He’s young, he just turned 17 in August. He’s got long arms, he’s six feet. I’m sure there will be plenty of interest once everyone’s season is over and they actually see him. His highlights are ridiculous.”

Naperville Central’s only score came on a one-yard run by Tristan Hall with 4:15 left in the third quarter. Hall had eight carries for 26 yards.

The Redhawks opened the season with wins against Hinsdale Central and Lincoln-Way East and lost by three on the road at Neuqua Valley. That’s as strong a resume as any team in Class 8A other than the Ramblers.

Quarterback Owen Prucha was 13-for-30 for 97 yards with one interception. Northwestern recruit Reggie Fleurima caught five passes for 41 yards for the Redhawks (7-4).

“We have to get used to the officials,” Holecek said. “They were a little flag happy. Catholic League refs don’t call as much. We have to be smarter.”

Loyola (11-0) will host the Lincoln-Way East vs. Minooka winner in the quarterfinals next weekend.

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Illinois running back Chase Brown carries the ball against Minnesota on Saturday in Minneapolis. | Stacy Bengs/AP

Chase Brown rushed 33 times for 150 yards, and the Illini delivered six sacks and two interceptions in a 14-6 victory.

MINNEAPOLIS — Chase Brown rushed 33 times for 150 yards, and the Illinois defense delivered six sacks and two interceptions of Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan on the way to a 14-6 victory on Saturday.

Kerby Joseph picked off Morgan at the Illini 45-yard line with 38 seconds left to halt the too-little-too-late rally by the Gophers (6-3, 4-2), whose four-game winning streak that catapulted them into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West Division was stopped cold.

“It was awesome. We developed a lot of different schemes and a lot of different things during the week. Our guys do an amazing job, so to see it all come to fruition is not a surprise,” said tight end Trip Reiman, who caught his first career touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter.

Morgan scored on a fourth-and-1 bootleg with 4:56 to go after going 7 for 8 for 68 yards on that drive to pull the Gophers within one score.

Brandon Peters attempted a season-low nine passes for the Illini (4-6, 3-4), but he was as sharp as he needed to be with seven completions for 80 yards and a score to help keep a bowl game in play.

The Illini finished the game with seven consecutive punts, except for a kneel-down at the end of each half, but Brown moved the chains with a 7-yard run off left tackle on third-and-4 near midfield around the 3-minute mark. Blake Hayes pooched his last punt to land it at the 2, leaving only 1:12 remaining and no timeouts for Morgan and the Gophers.

After a 38-yard strike to Dylan Wright, Morgan was taken down for an 11-yard sack by Isaiah Gay so hard the Illini linebacker hurt himself on the play.

The damage was already done by the Illinois defense, which frequently pressured Morgan and forced him out of the pocket to throw on the run when he wasn’t sacked. The Gophers never found their usual rhythm, netting a season-low 89 rushing yards after racking up 634 yards on the ground over the previous two games. They crossed the 30-yard line without scoring three times, including a sack by Owen Carney Jr. on fourth-and-6 at the 22 in the third quarter.

Illini defensive coordinator Ryan Walters received plenty of postgame accolades from both sides.

“We stacked the line, so all the gaps were spaced out. It really helped us stop the run game,” defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton said.

STRONG START

Illinois played a flawless first quarter, matching Minnesota’s per-game average allowance with 93 rushing yards. Seth Coleman provided the spark by tipping Morgan’s third-down pass at the line, deflecting the ball toward fellow linebacker Tarique Barnes for an interception near midfield to thwart a promising opening possession for the Gophers.

“They did a great job with disguises, all kinds of different stuff, but I can’t let tipped balls happen,” said Morgan, who finished 15 for 28 for 180 yards.

Said Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck: “I know he could have played better, but it doesn’t just fall on one guy.”

Wide receiver Isaiah Williams scored on a 2-yard jet sweep to finish a strong response to the turnover. Then after forcing a three-and-out, the Illini cruised from their own 9 to reach the end zone again on the first play of the second quarter.

The Illini just sat on their two-touchdown lead after that, and their defense was so relentless they just got away with the play-it-safe game.

The Gophers had a fourth-and-1 run stopped for no gain at the Illinois 22. Later in the first half, Matthew Trickett pulled a 45-yard field goal wide left. Trickett missed a his extra-point try in the fourth quarter, too, as the Gophers fell to 1-18 under Fleck when trailing at halftime. Their only such win was last month at Purdue.

“One of the things that we look at is to play from ahead. Minnesota is wired that way,” said Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who went 7-0 against the Gophers while he was in charge at Wisconsin.

THE TAKEAWAY

Illinois: This wasn’t quite as significant as the win at Penn State but an encouraging development nonetheless in the first year under Bielema, another sign the Illini can win with the power running and complementary defense he employed in the previous decade with the Badgers.

Minnesota: The bid for a West Division title wasn’t really damaged, because the Gophers were almost certainly going to have to beat both Iowa and Wisconsin anyway to win it. They still can, if they win out. The problem is this feeble performance by the offense portends doom against the defenses the Hawkeyes and Badgers will present.

“That is not our football team. That’s not the style that we play,” Fleck said. “That’s not the consistency we play with, and when it happens it’s like a big elephant in the room.”

UP NEXT

Illinois has next week off before visiting No. 19 Iowa on Nov. 20. The Illini have lost seven straight games to the Hawkeyes and have not won on the road in the series in six tries since 1999.

Minnesota plays at Iowa next Saturday. The Gophers are 0-4 against the Hawkeyes under Fleck and haven’t won in Iowa City in nine trips there since 1999.

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Travis Scott was performing at Day 1 of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday night when the crowd started to surge toward the stage ultimately resulting in a mass casualty incident. | Amy Harris/Invision/AP

Officials declared a “mass casualty incident” just after 9 p.m. Friday during the festival where an estimated 50,000 people were in attendance. Festival organizers canceled Saturday’s closing day of the two-day event.

HOUSTON — The crowd at a Houston music festival suddenly surged toward the stage during a performance by rapper Travis Scott, squeezing fans so tightly together that they could not breathe or move their arms, witnesses said Saturday, hours after at least eight people died in the chaos.

The pandemonium unfolded Friday evening at Astroworld, a sold-out, two-day event in NRG Park. An estimated 50,000 people were in attendance.

Niaara Goods, 28, said the crowd surged as a timer clicked down to the start of the performance.

“As soon as he jumped out on the stage, it was like an energy took over and everything went haywire. All of a sudden, your ribs are being crushed. You have someone’s arm in your neck. You’re trying to breathe, but you can’t,” Goods said.

Goods said she was so desperate to get out that she bit a man on the shoulder to get him to move.

The dead ranged in age from 14 to 27, and 13 people were still hospitalized, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. He called the disaster “a tragedy on many different levels” and said it was too early to draw conclusions about what went wrong.

Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld Music Festival. An estimated 50,000 persons were in attendance according to officials.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said the crowd’s movement toward the stage caused panic and some injuries. Then “people began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic.”

Experts who have studied deaths caused by crowd surges say they are often a result of density — too many people packed into a small space. The crowd is often running either away from a perceived threat or toward something they want, such as a performer, before hitting a barrier.

G. Keith Still, a visiting professor of crowd science at the United Kingdom’s University of Suffolk, has testified as an expert witness in court cases involving crowds. He said he usually does not look at eyewitness reports when in the early stages of analyzing an incident because emotions can cloud the picture, and witnesses can see only what’s immediately around them.

The deaths called to mind a 1979 concert by The Who where 11 people died as thousands of fans tried to get into Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum. Other past crowd catastrophes include the deaths of 97 people in an overcrowded Hillsborough Stadium in 1989 in Sheffield, England, and numerous disasters connected with the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia.

AP
The crowd watches as Travis Scott performs at Astroworld Festival at NRG park on Friday night in Houston. Several people died and numerous others were injured in what officials described as a surge of the crowd at the music festival while Scott was performing.

People in the Houston crowd reported lots of pushing and shoving during the performances leading up to Scott’s set.

Then when Scott took the stage, the crowd seemed to rush to the front, trying to get closer to the stage, said Nick Johnson, a high school senior from the Houston suburb of Friendswood who was at the concert with friends.

“Everyone was passing out around you, and everyone was trying to help each other. But you just couldn’t move. You couldn’t do anything. You can’t even pick your arms up,” Johnson said. “It just got worse and worse.”

Johnson said fans started to crush each other, and people started screaming. He said it felt like 100 degrees in the crowd.

Scott seemed to be aware that something was going on in the crowd, but he might not have understood the severity of the situation, Johnson said.

On video posted to social media, Scott could be seen stopping the concert at one point and asking for aid for someone in the audience: “Security, somebody help real quick.”

In a tweet posted Saturday, Scott said he was “absolutely devastated by what took place last night.” He pledged to work “together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”

Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite, who was near the front of the crowd, said the surge “happened all at once.”

“Suddenly we had several people down on the ground, experiencing some type of cardiac arrest or some type of medical episode,” Satterwhite said. “And so we immediately started doing CPR and moving people right then.”

Satterwhite said promoters quickly agreed to end the event “in the interest of public safety.”

Amy Harris, a freelance photographer for The Associated Press, described an “aggressive” crowd atmosphere throughout the day because of the way fans were behaving — pushing and rushing the stage barricades and prohibited VIP and admission areas.

Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Festivalgoers are seen rushing into the VIP area prior to Travis Scott performing during day one of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Houston.

“It was definitely the most chaotic festival environment that I’ve been in,” Harris said. “I felt uneasy all day.”

She got trapped behind a barricade while photographing performer Don Toliver because about 300 fans rushed the area. They ended up behind the security barricade with her.

She encountered a similar scene at a different stage for the main act. She left the media pit after three songs because of the disorder, which resulted in people being pulled over the security barricade to receive medical attention.

At one point, Gerardo Abad-Garcia was pressed so tightly into the crowd that he could not move his arms off his chest. During Toliver’s performance, which came before Scott’s appearance, he started getting concerned for his safety.

“I just couldn’t breathe. I was being compressed,” he said. A security guard helped him and others climb a fence and get out.

KTRK via AP
Emergency personnel respond to the Astroworld music festival in Houston on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. Several people died and numerous others were injured in what officials described as a surge of the crowd at the music festival while Travis Scott was performing.

He described the crowd during Scott’s set as a wave that was “going forward and backward.”

Some people lost their shoes, and the ground was littered with clothing and trash. He said some people tried to help those who were passed out on the ground, while other concertgoers seemed to ignore them and continued watching the show.

After Scott’s concert, Abad-Garcia saw medical personnel performing CPR on someone who appeared to be unconscious as the person was taken away on a golf cart.

Authorities did not disclose the causes of death, and the dead were not immediately identified.

Scott, one of music’s biggest young stars, founded the Astroworld Festival in 2018. The 29-year-old Houston native has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards. He has a 3-year-old daughter with Kylie Jenner, who announced in September that she’s pregnant with their second child.

Drake joined Scott on-stage at the concert, which was livestreamed by Apple Music.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP
People walk past a sign announcing Astroworld is canceled outside NRG in Houston on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Read More

The Chicago Blackhawks had a bad 5-1 loss on Friday night. It was as bad of a loss as they have had all season long. They don’t score goals and they can’t defend. It was especially bad when you can see someone like Marc-Andre Fleury visibly upset after giving up a goal. A player like […] Chicago Blackhawks: Finally fire Jeremy Colliton after bad loss – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More