Something sad happened. That’s how a “bummed” Tyler, the Creator characterized the car crash that left two dead and nearly two dozen injured early Thursday morning when an alleged drunk driver plowed through a barricade and a throng of concertgoers waiting in line to see the Wolf MC perform at the SXSW festival. Now, however, Austin, Texas, police are charging the rapper is also culpable in the crime.
Tyler (born Tyler Gregory Okonma) was arrested on Saturday (March 15), according to the Associated Press and charged with inciting a riot. Travis County Sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade told the AP that the 23-year-old Odd Future frontman was likely to be arraigned today; he faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted on the misdemeanor charge.
Though Tyler took to Twitter not long after the incident to tell fans that the tragic incident had forced him to cancel the SXSW show, officers at the scene allege in a warrant that the rap rabble-rouser encouraged fans to push their way inside the venue, the Mohawk nightclub, which was already at full capacity. (MTV News reached out for comment to reps for Tyler, the Creator, but had not heard back at press time.)
The incident unfolded shortly after midnight local time early Thursday morning, when a motorist who had been stopped on suspicion of DUI sped away from police and broke through a barricade, driving the wrong way down a one-way street that was packed with festivalgoers. The car slammed into the crowd, hitting two people who died on impact.
Rashad Charjuan Owens, 22, of Killeen, Texas, has subsequently been identified as the suspect. Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters that the driver will face two capital murder charges and 23 aggravated assault counts in the incident. The deceased victims have since been named: 35-year-old Steven Craenmehr was a creative director & sonic branding specialist at the Amsterdam firm Massive Music and 27-year-old Jamie West was a native of Austin.
For his part, on Friday, Tyler was apparently already feeling some heat in the aftermath of the deadly crash. He took to Twitter to lament the carelessness of inebriated drivers without regard for human life and take issue with those who were “making me out to be a bad guy.” He explained that he would not perform anymore shows at the annual fest as a result.
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