Calling him an “amazing person,” the brother of a Naperville college student killed at a Houston festival is grappling with his sibling’s death, and says he wants to make sure that such a tragedy never befalls another family.
Franco Patino, 21, was among eight people killed after a stampede at the “Astroworld” music festival in Houston on Friday. At least 25 others were injured in the incident, which took place at the annual event hosted by musician Travis Scott.
Patino’s brother Cesar, in a statement to NBC 5, called his brother an “amazing person,” and said that he always lived life to the fullest.
“He was an amazing person,” Cesar said. “I just want people to know that my brother isn’t just a number at a concert that died. He was a good, amazing person that loved to have joy and fun in his life, and wanted to be living his life to the fullest.
“Hopefully he can get recognized from this, and can get his justice he needs, and make sure that (this) doesn’t happen to another person,” he added.
According to Houston police, Patino was in the crowd at the festival that began to gather at approximately 9 p.m. for a performance from Scott.
Concertgoers pushed toward the front of the stage prior to the start of the show, leading to panic and injuries, police said. The situation continued to escalate until approximately 9:38 p.m., when a “mass casualty incident” was triggered, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña.
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Patino was one of eight people who died during the incident, with causes of death still pending, according to authorities.
According to Dayton University, where Patino was a senior majoring in mechanical engineering technology, he was a member of Alpha Psi Lambda, and was active in numerous groups on campus.
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“We extend our deepest sympathy and prayers to Franco’s….family, friends, professors and our campus community,” officials said in a statement.
The victims ranged in age from 14 to 27, according to authorities, with a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old losing their lives in the incident.
Approximately 50,000 people were expected to attend the festival, but the second day of the concert series was canceled after the tragedy.
