Nightclub stampede

last updated 8 January 2015

Chicago

Twenty-one people were crushed to death this week in a Chicago nightclub, after a brawl sparked hundreds of screaming patrons to rush for the exits. “Everybody smashed; people crying, couldn’t breathe,” said clubgoer Reggie Clark. “Two ladies next to me died.” The stampede began after security guards at the E2 nightclub tried to break up a fight between two women. Someone released a burst of pepper spray, and nearby guests began choking. A lawyer for the club’s owner said people ran in a panic after someone “yelled terrorist attack or poison gas.” The front door jammed as a “mound of people” piled up against it, a witness said. Police said the owner might face charges, as the club was supposed to be closed because it didn’t meet building codes.