City of Boerne Statement
The following information is from the City of Boerne, released March 7, 2025.
In response to the Aug. 31, 2024, bleacher platform collapse at the Kendall County Fair Association (KCFA) rodeo grounds during the Kendall County Fair, the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Boerne Police Department conducted an investigation into the event and the circumstances leading up to the collapse.
The Boerne Police Department CID consulted with Kendall County officials, including the Kendall County District Attorney’s Office, and the Texas Rangers through the Texas Department of Public Safety. Interviews were conducted with numerous parties, as well as site visits to the rodeo grounds.
A search of City records shows none of the required city-issued building permits for the bleachers or the newly installed platform were applied for in relation to 1307 River Road. As a result, no structural review or inspections of these structures were conducted.
As part of the investigation, the City of Boerne contracted an independent structural engineer to assess the cause of the collapse. The engineer’s report states: “The collapse of a portion of the upper bleacher structure platform was due to the insufficient ledger-to-pipe post connection.” The initial failure of the first connection caused subsequent connections to give way under pressure, the report says.
Click here to read the full report.
Upon completion of the investigation, findings and evidence were presented to the Kendall County District Attorney’s office, who has released a statement and no criminal charges will be pursued at this time.
Kendall County District Attorney’s Office Statement
The following information is from the Kendall County District Attorney’s Office, released March 7, 2025.
In the matter of the 2024 Kendall County Fair Association stadium collapse, the State of Texas is not pursuing criminal charges at this time.
This decision was made after careful consideration of the evidence presented to this office, and evaluating the ability to meet the burden of proof required.
Currently, it is the opinion of the Criminal District Attorney’s Office that there is insufficient evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt related to this matter. This opinion is in no way a comment on the sufficiency of the evidence in any pending or potential civil case, as the burden of proof is lower.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the individual that passed away and to those who were injured in this tragic event.
Media Inquiries
Please direct media inquiries to the following relevant parties:
- City of Boerne: communications@boerne-tx.gov
- Kendall County: cda@co.kendall.tx.us