Nike has decided to delay the release of Travis Scott's Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack following the mass casualty event that led to the cancelation of the Houston native's Astroworld Festival.
"Out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival, we are postponing the launch of the Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack," Nike told NBC News.
Nike's decision to delay the release of the artist's newest sneaker comes hours after 9-year-old Ezra Blount died due to injuries he suffered at the Astroworld Festival. According to a statement from Blount's father, Treston, Ezra was sitting on his shoulder when lost consciousness. The 9-year-old was then crushed by a crowd surge and taken to a nearby hospital without his father. When Treston Blount regained consciousness, he gathered himself and began to search for his son. Treston Blount and many of his family members found Ezra fighting for his life after suffering brain, kidney and liver damage. More than a week after the concert, Ezra Blount was pronounced dead.
“The Blount family tonight is grieving the incomprehensible loss of their precious young son,” Blount family attorney, Ben Crump, told the Associated Press.
“This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a joyful celebration.”
The Associated Press reports that Blount is one of 10 people who have died in connection to the festival. Three of the 10 casualties have involved people under the age of 18. As a result, Deadline reports that Travis Scott, Live Nation and other entities involved in the planning of the music festival face nearly 100 lawsuits from the families of those who were killed or injured.
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