9-year-old Astroworld victim's family turns down Travis Scott’s offer to pay for funeral

The family of Ezra Blount, the 9-year-old boy who died after being injured at the Astroworld concert earlier this month, has declined Travis Scott’s offer to pay for the child’s funeral.

Ezra is the youngest Astroworld victim and his passing brought the death toll of the tragedy to 10.

In a letter dated Nov. 24, Scott’s attorney, Daniel M. Petrocelli, wrote to Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard, the Blount family’s representation, to share the rapper’s “deepest sympathies and condolences” and express how he “grieves for the families whose loved ones died or were injured.”

Petrocelli added that Scott would like to pay for the Blounts’ funeral expenses.

In Hilliard’s response, which he also sent to NBC News, Treston Blount, Ezra’s father who also attended the concert, turned down the rapper’s request.

“The loss of a child is like a faucet of unimaginable pain that has no off handle,” Hilliard began. “To lose a child in the manner Treston lost Ezra compounds the pain — as a parent, Treston cannot help but agonize over the terrible idea that Ezra’s last minutes were filled with terror, suffering, suffocation and worst of all surrounded by strangers, his dad unconscious underneath the uncontrolled crowd.

“I have no doubt Mr. Scott feels remorse," Hilliard continued. "His journey ahead will be painful. He must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy.”

The attorney said he hoped for “redemption and growth” for Scott and that after healing and “acceptance of responsibility” maybe Blount and Scott could meet.

“For now, Mr. Scott must respect the fact that his pain and his devastation pale to Treston’s, Ezra’s mom, and the other victims,” he wrote.

On Nov. 14, Blount’s family released a statement confirming the 9-year-old’s death.

“This should not have been the outcome of taking their son to a concert, what should have been a joyful celebration,” the statement said. “Ezra’s death is absolutely heartbreaking. We are committed to seeking answers and justice for the Blount family.”

Ezra sustained “life-threatening injuries and was placed in a medically induced coma on life support in an attempt to combat his brain, liver and kidney trauma,” according to the statement.

Treston and Ezra Blount traveled to Houston to attend the concert and see Scott perform. The 9-year-old was on his father’s shoulders when concertgoers started to trample each other. The father passed out and his son fell to the ground. When Blount woke up, Ezra was nowhere to be found.

While Ezra remained in a coma, the Blount family filed a $1 million lawsuit against Scott and other festival organizers, including his record company Cactus Jack Records and several Live Nation and NRG Park employees.

The suit alleges that several individuals were “pleading with defendants to stop the concert.”

It also states: “Despite the chaos which defendants were aware of or should have been aware of, defendants failed to stop until over 40 minutes after city officials said the ‘mass casualty event’ had begun.”

Scott previously announced he would cover the funeral costs for people who died at the event and he would also provide “further aid” to other individuals affected.

He partnered with the therapy service BetterHelp to provide free one-on-one online therapy and other mental health services for concertgoers, a BetterHelp news release said.

More than 40 lawsuits against Scott and the organizers of Astroworld have been filed, including a $750 million suit that also lists rapper Drake, who joined Scott for his set, and Apple Music as defendants. It was filed on behalf of at least 125 victims.

In addition to Ezra Blount, there were nine others who died: Mirza Baig, 27; Rodolfo Peña, 23; Madison Dubiski, 23; Franco Patiño, 21; Jacob “Jake” Jurinek, 20; John Hilgert, 14; Axel Acosta Avila, 21; Brianna Rodriguez, 16, and Bharti Shahani, 22.