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Attack fears and locked exits a fatal mix at club (Jackson blames Bush?)
SMH ^ | February 19, 2003

Posted on 02/18/2003 10:20:39 AM PST by Indy Pendance

Shouts of "poison gas" and fears of a terrorist attack may have fuelled a fatal stampede that erupted when Mace was used to break up a fight at a crowded Chicago nightclub.

Several locked exits and blocked doors - some had bags of laundry stored in front of them - added to the chaos which saw at least 21 people crushed to death and 50 more injured.

The crush happened on early Monday morning after bouncers at E2 club used Mace and pepper spray to halt a fight between two women.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who visited victims and survivors, said those inside told him someone had yelled "poison gas" and that fears of a terrorist attack added the panic.

Chicago's police chief, Terry Hillard, yesterday promised a full investigation of the tragedy. "Right now our investigation is at full tilt. It will be a very painstaking process," he said.

Mr Hillard said police were receiving conflicting accounts of how the fight started, who sprayed Mace and why, and how people died. He added that video footage from the club's security cameras would be examined.

City officials said the second-storey club was open in violation of a court order and that they would seek criminal contempt charges against the owners. The club had been shut down since July because of 11 fire and building code violations.

The commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department, James Joyce, said investigators had found numerous code violations at the club, including a number of locked and blocked doors. Bags of laundry were stored in front of several doors.

"There are people who were trying to get out who could not get out," Mr Joyce said. "We can't explain how management ... would allow that to happen."

Between 1500 and 2000 people had been at the E2 dance club on Chicago's south side, celebrating the long President's Day weekend. So many needed medical help that some bodies were carried out to ambulances by clubbers as emergency officers treated others who had piled up at the nightclub's one double door.

Families and friends of victims scoured hospitals on Monday looking for their loved ones. One, Marcia Green, was trying to find her 19-year-old sister, Charita Rhodes. "She never came home," she said. "The last time she was seen was with a friend, holding hands and trying to get out of the building, but I think they got separated.

"This is not like her not to call. It looks like we are going to have to go to the morgue."

A dozen bouquets and three white teddy bears sat in front of the club on Monday, with a card that said "We Miss You - RIP. - Keep Yo Heads Up!" Just after midday, a young girl stopped by to add a brown teddy with the message, "Our prayers are with you."


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In another article:

Charges considered in nightclub fire

Hundreds of people packed into the second-floor E2 club on the city's South Side stampeded down a stairwell after security guards broke up a fight and someone sprayed pepper gas or Mace. A lawyer for the club operators suggested someone might have shouted a warning about a terrorist attack.

1 posted on 02/18/2003 10:20:39 AM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance
B-I-I-I-I-I-G Lawsuit on the way.
2 posted on 02/18/2003 10:23:42 AM PST by Ciexyz
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To: Indy Pendance
I heard some of this stuff on the radio early this morning; next Tuesday is election day in Chicago and a lot of people are hustling to turn this into an "issue."
3 posted on 02/18/2003 10:24:36 AM PST by Chi-townChief
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To: Ciexyz
Who was paid off so that club could remain open?
4 posted on 02/18/2003 10:24:57 AM PST by Ciexyz
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To: Ciexyz
Keep yo head up?

I hope God doesn't punish bad spelling.

5 posted on 02/18/2003 10:27:03 AM PST by Lance Romance
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To: Indy Pendance
From the linked article:

"Mr. Grant said his clients had rented the club to private promoters, a firm called Envy Entertainment"

6 posted on 02/18/2003 10:28:54 AM PST by Revolting cat! (Someone left the cake out in the rain I dont think that I can take it coz it took so long to bake it)
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To: Ciexyz
I heard that Jesse Jackson had in the past come to bat for the club owner so that they could stay open. I heard it this morning on Imus, and again on Rush.

Stay tuned, another tawana brawley incident is coming your way.
7 posted on 02/18/2003 10:29:07 AM PST by Samurai_Jack
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To: Ciexyz
I heard on WLS this morning that both Jessie Jackson and JJ Jr. lobbied for the reinstatement of the license for the club. Sounds like a dual-purpose CYA and "blame the Republicans" rant by the so-called Reverend Jackson.
8 posted on 02/18/2003 10:29:26 AM PST by Andyman
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To: Ciexyz
Wasn't it Jesse himself who went to bat for the owners and insisted that the city of Chicago NOT close the place down for a number of violations earlier? Of course none of this could be HIS fault.
9 posted on 02/18/2003 10:29:32 AM PST by alloysteel
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To: Ciexyz
Rush had a sound clip with Jackson pretty much saying it was Bush's fault. I think the clip was from CNN. I could not find it though.
10 posted on 02/18/2003 10:29:48 AM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance
There was a fire at the nightclub too?
11 posted on 02/18/2003 10:30:26 AM PST by ecru
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To: alloysteel
Jesse! Say it ain't so! (/sarcasm)
12 posted on 02/18/2003 10:31:28 AM PST by Ciexyz
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To: ecru
No, there wasn't a fire, this is a mistype on the article, or sloppy reporting. The fire chief gave a press conference regarding the club.

"The management of this business is well aware of this court order," Chicago fire commissioner James Joyce said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

13 posted on 02/18/2003 10:33:22 AM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: Ciexyz
B-I-I-I-I-I-G Lawsuit on the way.

Yep and discovery is always a b!ch#.

14 posted on 02/18/2003 10:34:15 AM PST by jriemer
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To: Ciexyz
Who was paid off so that club could remain open?

In Chicago, you can make a shorter list by asking, "who wasn't paid off".

15 posted on 02/18/2003 10:36:46 AM PST by jriemer
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To: Indy Pendance
I despise Jesse Jackson, but I don't particularly find his quote here offensive. Fears of a terrorist attack probably did add to the general level of panic. It's way down the list of things which caused this disaster, but it probably was a contributing factor to some degree.

I was on a commuter train this morning when one end of the car started filling up with smoke. I watched as certain people bolted for the door much more franticaly than they would have if we weren't at "code orange".

16 posted on 02/18/2003 10:36:58 AM PST by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: Indy Pendance
A young black woman was just impregnated by Jesse Jackson. He blamed George Bush.
17 posted on 02/18/2003 10:42:01 AM PST by doug from upland (May the Clintons begin living in orange jumpsuits sharing the same 6 x 9 cell with an RNC webcam.)
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To: PBRSTREETGANG
What are you talking about? You are blaming the president for a local fire ordinance violation? Are you nuts?

There is however a local reverend and his politician son who directly lobbied for this club to stay open after it had been cited for numerous safety violations. I'll let you figure out who that was.

18 posted on 02/18/2003 10:46:55 AM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: Ciexyz
B-I-I-I-I-I-G Lawsuit on the way.

Lawsuit if and only if Jesse Jackson can find a white guy even remotely connected to this incident. He's already decided the black owners who knowingly disobeyed city ordinances are not to be blamed.

19 posted on 02/18/2003 10:47:45 AM PST by FITZ
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To: Indy Pendance
Help me out here...where does Jackson blame Bush?
20 posted on 02/18/2003 10:54:04 AM PST by TankerKC (Analyzing Iraq requires intellectual work, spouting off about the US requires only attitude.)
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