Hope You Haven't Been Partying, Ming!

[Solly]

At least 14 people have been killed in a stampede at a Chicago nightclub.

Panic broke out when someone sprayed mace or pepper spray into the air at the Epitome club, reports say.

Nor you Rah.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2771641.stm

[Ming]

Rah and I are weren't in that nightclub

[aaglo]

Wow... this seems like the stronger version of the incident I experienced.

In the early 90's I was in a disco, when someone ignited a "teargas pill" (used by the military in the gas attack training chambers - not very dangerous, but extremely annoying) in the restaurant. Nobody died, but people started feeling a bit sick.

Some "party"

[aaglo]

"Rah and I are weren't in that nightclub"

Your grammar speaks against you

[Solly]

Originally posted by Ming
Rah and I are weren't in that nightclub

How come you weren't posting on Apolyton at that time then?

I think we have a suspect.

[MRT144]

i bet it was a swede aaglo

[catullus]

This the same kind of harmless chemical agent the US is planning to spray over Iraqi cities to pacify civilians?

Nah, probably not. Military grade gas is probably even worse to inhale.

C.
My deepest sympathy to the victims in Chicago.

[H Tower]

it's up to 21 dead now.

Tribune staff reports
Published February 17, 2003, 8:17 AM CST

At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured after a fight in a crowded South Side Chicago nightclub early this morning turned into a stampede, authorities said.

"Everybody smashed; people crying, couldn’t breathe,’’ said club goer Reggie Clark. "Two ladies next to me died. A guy under me passed out.’’

A fight broke out between three women about 2 a.m. at E2, a dance club on the second floor of the Epitome restaurant building at 2347 S. Michigan Ave., officials said. About 1,500 people were gathered there at the time.

Someone used mace and pepper spray on the combatants, and in the ensuing melee, club goers rushed down a staircase leading to the front door, authorities said. The back door reportedly was locked.

People started falling, and the crowd poured over them, witnesses said.

Amishoov Blackwell, 30, of Gary, Ind., had just gotten inside the club and was trying to check his coat on the second floor when people started rushing past him. The flow of the crowd pushed him back down the stairs, he said.

People started tripping halfway down the stairwell, and he fell on top of several. Blackwell said he was trapped in the stairwell on top of the bodies for about 30 minutes, until fire fighters rescued him.

Cory Thomas, 33, of Chicago went to the club about 3 a.m. to pick up two friends. As he waited outside, he saw people inside the club start to back up against the glass front door.

"You could see a mound of people," Thomas said. "People were stacking on top of each other, screaming and gagging, I guess from the pepper spray. The door got blocked because there were too many people stacked up against it.’’

"I saw them taking out a pregnant woman,’’ he said. "She was in bad shape. I saw at least 10 lifeless bodies.’’

Kristy Mitchell, 22, of Gary, Ind., was one of the people trampled on the stairway.

"People were stomping my legs,’’ she said. "When they pulled me up, I was dizzy and I couldn’t breathe.’’

Will Knight, spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department, said four people were confirmed dead at the scene and 19 people were taken to area hospitals in cardiac arrest.

“Paramedics did an extraordinary job,” Knight said. “We know fire crews had to cut locks off the back doors to get people out of the building….Everybody was trying to get out of the front exits and were trampled over.”

Medical teams were called from Northwestern Memorial Hospital and University of Chicago Hospitals to set up a treatment area at the site, Knight said. A hazardous materials team also was summoned to check for the presence of mace and pepper spray, he said.

As of 7 a.m., 20 people were confirmed dead at the following locations: Four at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center; three each at the Cook County medical examiner's office, University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, University of Chicago Hospitals and Stroger Hospital of Cook Count; two at Mercy Hospital, and one each at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital, officials said.

The site where the 21st fatality was confirmed was not immediately available. Additionally, at least 49 people were injured, including two firefighters. Five to 10 victims were believed to be critically hurt.

Investigators remained at the scene at daybreak. Michigan Avenue and 24th Street in the immediate vicinity of the nightclub were blocked, and CTA buses were being re-routed.

WGN-Ch. 9 and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-030217nightclub.story

catullus, give me a link to where you saw that the US is planning on spreading chemical agents over Iraq.

[Solly]

Damn this is bad. Let's be glad Mr and Mrs Ming put off their family planning for a few years.

[MikeH]

Really bad story.

[Solly]

Skyscrapers and nightclubs.

Sounds like a song.

[MrFun]

I wonder how many drug users were in that crowd?

Oh but remember -- illegal drugs are HARMLESS.

No matter how this tragedy unfolded it's a senseless waste of lives.

[Zylka]

Originally posted by MrFun
I wonder how many drug users were in that crowd?

Oh but remember -- illegal drugs are HARMLESS.

No matter how this tragedy unfolded it's a senseless waste of lives.

I imagine 90% of those who died were just using alcohol, but remember - legal drugs are HARMLESS. In your supposed suggestion, interesting there's an mdma or coke + pepper spray death cocktail no one knows about that's to blame?

[Imran Siddiqui]

I wonder how many drug users were in that crowd

You are blaming this on drugs?! What are you nuts? You have two people having an argument, in an overcrowded nightclub, pulling out pepper spray, and you don't think people are going to get trampled?

[Solly]

MrFun, that is absolutely crazy. Hope you take that back, no way can you blame this tragedy on drugs, just as you can't blame the Hillsborough tragedy* on football or alcohol.

See http://members.tripod.com/~fandom101/hillsborough.html