In light of the recent nightclub incidents, are the clubs you frequent safe?

[Honeykiss1974]

21 Die in Chicago Nightclub Stampede
12 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!

By BRANDON LOOMIS, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO - A disturbance at a crowded South Side nightclub early Monday sent hundreds of people rushing for the exits, killing at least 21 and injuring an unknown number of others.

There were more than 1,500 people in the two-story Epitome Night Club on the city's South Side when someone released pepper spray or Mace into the air sometime after 2 a.m., Fire Commander Will Knight said. Twenty-one people were confirmed dead, Chicago Police spokesman Pat Camden said.

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

"It appears a disturbance from within led to a mass chaos where people headed for the door. Most of the fatalities appear to have been crushed or had injuries due to suffocation," said police Officer Ozzie Rodriguez.

Cory Thomas, 33, went to the club 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. 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," he said.

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

Kristy Mitchell, 22, 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."

Knight said the total number of injuries was unclear because many of those with minor injuries were being taken to hospitals by family and friends.

Amishoov Blackwell, 30, was checking his coat on the second floor when people started rushing past him. The flow of the crowd pushed him back down the stairs and he fell on top of several people, he said. He was trapped on top of the others until firefighters rescued him about 30 minutes later.

"It wasn't nothing but two girls fighting," Blackwell said. "Why'd they have to spray Mace?"

The melee marks one of the nation's deadliest stampedes.

In December 1991, nine young people were crushed to death in a gymnasium stairwell while awaiting a celebrity basketball game in New York.

In December 1979, 11 people were killed in Cincinnati in a crush to get into a concert by The Who.

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For those that don't know, this is an African-American nightclub (which was quite nice IMHO).

[AKA2D '91]

I saw that earlier. It's too .

You try to enjoy yourself, then a tragedy like this happens.

[NewBee]

Just to add, I am from the Chi, and people are saying that actually the security gaurds sprayed the mace.Is truly sad regardless fo who did it...

[Honeykiss1974]

This was an AVOIDABLE tragedy!

I was involved in an incident similiar to this one (except no one died and everyone got out). A fight broke out on the dance floor and people started running towards to exits, except two emergency exits blocked by tables and chairs. People were climbing, pushing, knocking folks over trying to get out.

I understand that club owners/security guards want to keep the riff raff out and are just trying to make the evening safe and enjoyable, but still they shouldn't keep the club "ON LOCK DOWN" like that.

BTW...what's up with the visibly pregnant lady at the club? Yeah, I know....different topic.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Did anyone else wonder how the f*** the "good reverend" managed to get his name into this article???

Oh, not the one she posted, the one on CNN.com .

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by DeltaBetaBaby
Did anyone else wonder how the f*** the "good reverend" managed to get his name into this article???

Oh, not the one she posted, the one on CNN.com .

Isn't Jesse from Chicago? Or is it DC?

Also, if there is only one exit?entrance, isn't that against some type of fire-code?

***EDITTED MESSAGE***

It is being reported on NPR that the E2 only had only emergency exit open. The rest were either locked or baracaded.
I can't tell ya'll how many times I have seen that at "our" club's

[NewBee]

He is from Chicago, Rainbow Push is operated here...

[RedefinedDiva]

How the hell you gonna lock fire exits and spray Mace? I was a party once and pepper spray was used on two guys that were fighting. Even though we were far away from the area, it spread fast and quick. Since I have an uncle that's a cop, my friends and I knew that you shoudl cover your mouth and limit talking and taking breaths until you get to fresh air. However, most people don't know that. Once they get a whiff of the pepper, the first reaction is to gasp and take in deep breaths, which makes it worse. Afterwards, they start running for the air.

When will clubs start taking responsibility for the patrons that keep them in business?

[Virtual Violet]

Epitome Night Club Was Operating In Violation Of Court Order
Club Reportedly Tried To 'Contain Situation' By Locking Doors

POSTED: 5:01 a.m. CST February 17, 2003
UPDATED: 6:03 p.m. CST February 17, 2003

CHICAGO -- Authorities said 21 people were killed and dozens of others were seriously injured at a south side night club, when they were crushed while trying to exit through a single door.


The incident occurred at the two-story Epitome restaurant and night club, also known as E2, at 2347 S. Michigan Ave., around 3:30 a.m. Monday.

Late Monday afternoon, Fire Commissioner James Joyce said the nightclub was operating in violation of a court order. Joyce said previous violations had led to the court order prohibiting the use of the second floor of the building.

A city attorney said the owner of the club faces possible charges of criminal contempt because of the alleged violation of a court order.

Witnesses told Vatis that security guards responded to a minor fight between two women on the dance floor by spraying Mace or pepper spray, and the spray triggered a mass exodus. Authorities said later there were more than 1,500 people in the club at the time.

Witnesses said Monday morning that the front and back doors of the club were both chained shut, and patrons rushed for the stairs, crushing people to death. Cardiac arrest due to crushing and suffocation was the primary cause of death.

Fire Commissioner James Joyce said later Monday morning that various safety violations have been uncovered at the club.

"Most the fire code violations we found were related to locked and blocked doors," Joyce said, "and a propane container used as an auxiliary heating device."

Joyce said firefighters who first responded to the scene used force to open exits and help people out. The first paramedics to arrive were called to the scene to help a pregnant woman and were unaware that there were bodies stacked in the stairwell.



Police Superintendent Terry Hillard said investigators are talking to witnesses, security guards and others who were at the scene, and they want more people to come forward. Hillard said he thought the locked doors contributed to the high number of fatalities.

"If there is anyone who was at this particular night club at this particular time, and you have information, please call (312) 746-8252," Hillard said.

Hillard said shortly before noon that investigators have not yet substantiated witness claims that pepper spray or Mace was sprayed prior to the stampede.

Vatis said club security personnel locked the doors because they were trying to "contain the situation," and nobody was available to open the doors when people tried to rush out.

Kristy Mitchell told Vatis she was one of the people trapped in the stairwell. She said she escaped serious injury but at times could not breathe in the crowd.

Another witness told Vatis he was inside, also, and he held several people as they lay dying.

Toneta Matthews told NBC5 that she was crushed under the crowd pushing down the stairs and passed out at one point but managed to make her way outside. Once outside, Matthews said she performed CPR on two men but was unable to save them.

"People just died in my arms," Matthews said, describing the horror.

FeedRoom


Night Club Deaths





Matthews said she saw a pregnant woman die, and another pregnant woman had gone into labor in a bathroom.

Another person who was inside, Deanna Morris, called NBC5 Monday morning. She said at first, she was watching the entire disturbance from the vantage point of the V.I.P. club, a higher floor at the club.

Morris said a fight broke out on the floor, and then she saw clubs swinging just before security guards sprayed a chemical agent. Morris said security guards then told her to go downstairs and she found her way to an open door over "by the DJ's booth." A friend followed her outside, Morris said, and they ran into two Chicago police officers who reportedly tried to push them both back inside.

Morris said she did not go back inside, despite police orders. Morris said she believed the officers who told her to go back inside were just arriving at the scene and did not realize yet what was going on.

NBC5's Charlie Wojciechowski said two firefighters were also injured, but neither was seriously hurt. Wojciechowski said survivors were going from hospital to hospital, searching for friends and relatives they thought might have been at the club.

Check back for updates.

Copyright 2003 by NBC5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[AKA2D '91]

I watched the report on WGN last night. Indeed it was truly sad to see those loved ones having to go and identify their family members. It was a bit much to bare and I didn't know them.

It is nice to know that church's have reached out to the families if they need assistance with arrangements, regardless if they were members of the congregation or not.

Now Jesse...

[vanda]

Something is always going on at the Epitome. Lst year a woman was shot to death in front of it and another young lady was killed when she was chased onto the nearby expressway ( She ended up driving southbound in the northbound lanes). Now reports are coming out here someone yelled "Bin Laden and terrorist attack" and that's what caused the uproar. Many reports also say the deejay was the one to yell to spray them but he quickly denied it.

As for Jesse, he said a close friend of his was there and called him to let him know what was going on.

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by vanda
As for Jesse, he said a close friend of his was there and called him to let him know what was going on.

Where? In da club?

[vanda]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Where? In da club?

Yes!!!! I was wondering was Jesse getting his juke on himself lol.

[Bamboozled]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Where? In da club?

LOL!!! I read somewhere that the one of the owners is the son of a long time friend of Jesse's. Perhaps that is why he was there that night.

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by vanda


As for Jesse, he said a close friend of his was there and called him to let him know what was going on.

A CLOSE friend. Jesse needs to quit it.