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Astroworld Tragedy: Remembering, Honoring the Victims

By Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, Staff writer | November 17, 2021

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The Memorial area has been honoring John Hilgert's memory with green ribbons, as green was his favorite color. John, who was a freshman at Memorial High School, died from the tragedy at Astroworld Festival.

The Astroworld Festival culminated in tragedy as a crowd surge turned deadly. A Memorial High School student and a Heights High School student are among those who lost their lives.

The victims are: Axel Acosta Avila, a 21-year-old from Washington State; Danish Baig, a 27-year-old from Euless, TX, who died trying to save his fiancée; Ezra Blount, a 9-year-old from Dallas who had been watching the concert from his father’s shoulders; Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old from Cypress, John Hilgert, a 14-year-old Memorial High School student; Jacob Jurinek, a 20-year-old from Illinois; Franco Patino, a 21-year-old from Illinois; Rodolfo Peña, a 23-year-old from Laredo; Brianna Rodriguez, a 16-year-old Heights High School student; Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old Texas A&M student. Read more about the victims here.

Find a list of verified fundraisers for the victims of the Astroworld tragedy here. The Hilgert family is asking for donations toward Spring Branch Education Foundation’s John Hilgert Memorial Fund, which will benefit counselors at Spring Branch ISD, or nonprofit bereavement center Bo’s Place.

Last weekend, Memorial High School played Heights High School in a football game at Delmar Stadium. Players, cheerleaders, and spectators honored John Hilgert by wearing green, his favorite color, and honored Brianna Rodriguez by wearing pink, her favorite color. Loved ones also wore pink and white to her funeral service. Green ribbons are tied around trees on MHS's campus and in the surrounding neighborhood. See more information and John's funeral details here.

MHS principal Lisa Weir wrote in a letter to MHS parents: “This is a terrible loss, and the entire MHS family is grieving.”

Our hearts are with all impacted by this devastating event.