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Chicago Night Club Turns Into Death Trap
Aired February 17, 2003 - 14:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, a night of fun turns into a nightmare in a Chicago nightclub. A fight inside caused hundreds of people to panic and rush the clubs exits, only to find them locked or blocked. Twenty-one people are now dead.
CNN's Keith Oppenheim live from Chicago with more details -- Keith.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tough story, Kyra. And at least 30 injured here as well. We are on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. On the building behind me it says, "Epitome." That refers to the restaurant on the first floor. The nightclub on the second floor is called "E2." And that's where the trouble began around 2:00 Chicago time. Officials are trying to figure out whether or not the patrons had or didn't have various ways to get out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These were Chicagoans who went to a nightclub, who was out to have a good time, as simple as that, you know. And they lost their lives tragically. Yeah. And what we have to do as a police department is find out why.
OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Why a nightclub became the scene of a stampede is a question that's just beginning to be answered. Witnesses say the stampede began when security guards used pepper spray or mace to break up a fight between female patrons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the smaller women was getting pushed out stamped on, you know, because the bigger guys was really trying, you know, make headway to get out the door. But once they came through the main entrance, they just kind of like got stuck.
OPPENHEIM: Many of the victims were trampled as people rushed for the exits; but a rear door was chained shut and, eventually, firefighters cut it open, but that came too late. When the melee was underway, there was only one way down from the upstairs of the club, and officials say trampled bodies had to be pulled from the stairwell.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had several people were in cardiac arrest, that were in traumatic asphyxiation from being crushed underneath the piles of people trying to get out of this building.
OPPENHEIM: There are conflicting reports about how many people were in the club, but witnesses say it was very crowded and may have been beyond capacity. Police say the area is being treated as a crime scene.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIM: Investigators also tell us, Kyra, that there were a number of doors -- not just the back door -- that were either blocked or locked in the building. They also say there was an occupancy sign with a limit of 327 people for the downstairs restaurant in this building. But there was no occupancy sign posted for the upstairs nightclub. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Keith Oppenheim will continue to follow the investigation live from Chicago. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 17, 2003 - 14:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, a night of fun turns into a nightmare in a Chicago nightclub. A fight inside caused hundreds of people to panic and rush the clubs exits, only to find them locked or blocked. Twenty-one people are now dead.
CNN's Keith Oppenheim live from Chicago with more details -- Keith.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tough story, Kyra. And at least 30 injured here as well. We are on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. On the building behind me it says, "Epitome." That refers to the restaurant on the first floor. The nightclub on the second floor is called "E2." And that's where the trouble began around 2:00 Chicago time. Officials are trying to figure out whether or not the patrons had or didn't have various ways to get out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These were Chicagoans who went to a nightclub, who was out to have a good time, as simple as that, you know. And they lost their lives tragically. Yeah. And what we have to do as a police department is find out why.
OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Why a nightclub became the scene of a stampede is a question that's just beginning to be answered. Witnesses say the stampede began when security guards used pepper spray or mace to break up a fight between female patrons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, the smaller women was getting pushed out stamped on, you know, because the bigger guys was really trying, you know, make headway to get out the door. But once they came through the main entrance, they just kind of like got stuck.
OPPENHEIM: Many of the victims were trampled as people rushed for the exits; but a rear door was chained shut and, eventually, firefighters cut it open, but that came too late. When the melee was underway, there was only one way down from the upstairs of the club, and officials say trampled bodies had to be pulled from the stairwell.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had several people were in cardiac arrest, that were in traumatic asphyxiation from being crushed underneath the piles of people trying to get out of this building.
OPPENHEIM: There are conflicting reports about how many people were in the club, but witnesses say it was very crowded and may have been beyond capacity. Police say the area is being treated as a crime scene.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIM: Investigators also tell us, Kyra, that there were a number of doors -- not just the back door -- that were either blocked or locked in the building. They also say there was an occupancy sign with a limit of 327 people for the downstairs restaurant in this building. But there was no occupancy sign posted for the upstairs nightclub. Back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Keith Oppenheim will continue to follow the investigation live from Chicago. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
