21 people die in nightclub stampede (Chicago)

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http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Club-Deaths.html

February 17, 2003

21 Die in Night Club Stampede

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 10:55 a.m. ET

CHICAGO (AP) -- Hundreds of screaming guests rushed the exit of a crowded nightclub after someone set off a chemical spray, and at least 21 people were crushed to death in the panic, fire officials said.

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.

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

Twenty-one people were confirmed dead, Chicago Police spokesman Pat Camden said.

``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 Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived at the scene early Monday and urged community members to help each other.

``We are asking area ministers to go to hospitals,'' Jackson said. ``My people are overwhelmed with the suddenness of this. At a time like this, you have to lean on your faith.''

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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