Fear: Did It Cause Club Stampede?

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday February 18, 2003 07:33 by Carly Miller

Some are asking if the panic in that club could have been spurred by post 9/11 jitters

"I think a lot of this has to do with, over sensitivization regarding threat level orange and a continuing threat of bio-terrorism," said News 4 WOAI medical expert Dr. Bill Lloyd. http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=D480F1A0-B47D-4C4D-800A-D9C16B3F6AE4

Fear: Did It Cause Club Stampede?
LAST UPDATE: 2/17/2003 6:32:44 PM
Carly Miller
WOAI
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=D480F1A0-B47D-4C4D-800A-D9C16B3F6AE4

A chaotic scene in Chicago. Hundreds of screaming people stumbling down the darkened stairs of an illegally operated nightclub, gasping for air and stepping on bodies, only to find themselves trapped at the bottom trying to escape through a single exit.

Some are asking if the panic in that club could have been spurred by post 9/11 jitters.

"I would have thought somebody would of thought it was some chemical of some sort, and was worried and tried to get out," said Dave Osdoba.

21 people are dead because pepper spray sent the crowd into a state of panic.

"In a crowd it can get contaminate more people than you want to stop and cause them to panic," said retired police officer Dan Biggar.

And panic is contagious. After September 11th San Antonio police got dozens of calls a day for anthrax scares in homes, businesses and even schools.

"I think a lot of this has to do with, over sensitivization regarding threat level orange and a continuing threat of bio-terrorism," said News 4 WOAI medical expert Dr. Bill Lloyd.

So, could we see this happening all over again?

"I don't know how I would react, but I do definitely think that the terrorist threat and the heightened alert has a lot to do with, the reaction, anybody to react like that."

Julie Airheart says she's paying more attention, and says she'll avoid large crowds for now.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=D480F1A0-B47D-4C4D-800A-D9C16B3F6AE4