"Intentional" Gas Leak Injures Furry Convention Attendees

[roseofbattle]

"Intentional" Gas Leak Injures Furry Convention Attendees

Police believe a chlorine gas leak was meant to cause harm during Midwest FurFest last weekend.

A chlorine gas leak interrupted the annual furry convention Midwest FurFest Sunday morning as the Hyatt Regency O'Hare at in Rosemont, Illinois, evacuated the hotel at 1:10 a.m. following reports of a chemical odor. First responders determined the odor to be a high level of chlorine gas, which police believe was intentionally caused.

Rosemont police stated the manner the substance was released, consistent with powdered chlorine, "suggests an intentional act." Police are investigating the incident as a criminal matter.

Hazmat teams found the source of the chlorine in a stairwell on the ninth floor of the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. After evacuating, 19 people complained of nausea and dizziness and were then transported to local hospitals. Hyatt Regency O'Hare stated some of those individuals were released by later Sunday morning.

Guests attending Midwest FurFest, a convention for people interested in anthropomorphic animals, moved to the Stephens Convention Center for warmth and shelter after police determined an investigation would take more time. The hotel reopened at 4:20 a.m., according to Midwest FurFest.

"As we wake up today we want to continue to provide the best possible convention that we can, despite the trying circumstances," Midwest Furfest stated Sunday morning on its website. "The convention will be running on a full normal programming schedule today. We ask you to continue to be patient, and remember that the volunteers who make Midwest FurFest happen intend to give 110% to make sure that the fun, friendship, and good times of Midwest FurFest 2014 overshadow last night's unfortunate incident.

Neither the convention nor the hotel will offer refunds because the incident was an "unforeseen possibly criminal act."

Source: Chicago Tribune [http://www.furfest.org/Evacuation_Statement]


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[Story]

Urgh that's horrible.
Glad to hear no one was seriously injured.

 

[False Messiah]

I wonder if someone/somegroup will claim this as an attack. Furries have been the butt of many jokes and hate on the internet for years now so it's not that hard to think that someone did it intentional.

I wonder why this isn't bigger news, it's awefully close to terrorism but none of the major news outlets mentio anything.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Regardless of how a person may feel about the furry fandom,
that's no excuse to do something like this.

 

[templar1138a]

Furries have been the butt of many jokes and hate on the internet for years now so it's not that hard to think that someone did it intentional.

I wonder why this isn't bigger news, it's awefully close to terrorism but none of the major news outlets mentio anything.

You've already answered your own question. Not many people immersed in internet culture understand furries, and even FEWER of those outside it do. A major news network reporting on a possible attempt to murder a convention of people who at the least are fascinated with anthropomorphic animals and at the most believe they ARE anthropomorphic animals would leave many a dim-witted viewer confused and enraged at what they believe to be a vile concept. It would completely overshadow the criminal act itself.

Can you imagine how Fox "News" would report on this? Those assholes make me want to vomit enough as it is.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

Jesus! >.>
The hate's getting more real every day...

 

[VanQ]

That's just plain nasty. I don't get furries but I don't wish any harm on them. I'm honestly surprised that there were no deaths considering chlorine gas pretty much melts the lungs on contact.

They keep themselves contained in their own little spaces of the internet these days and don't bother the rest of us most of the time so I think they deserve the chance to have a con from time to time where they can let their inhibitions out in person. As long as they're not hurting anyone no one should care.

 

[The Lunatic]

Can you imagine how Fox "News" would report on this? Those assholes make me want to vomit enough as it is.

You know, amusingly enough.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/08/chlorine-gas-leak-at-chicago-area-hotel-hosting-furries-convention-sickens-1/

They have.

And... It's actually.. Well, it's not bad, actually.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Weird, you read about this kind of crap, but never think it's going to happen to people you know.

At least nobody was badly hurt, small bonuses.

Maybe somebody will claim this, but my money is on random nutjob who's going to slink off into the pit they crawled from.

 

[major_chaos]

Ya know I'm not exactly a huge fan of furries (yes I know what my avatar is, Its more the community, the fursuits and the whole "fursonna" thing that bothers me, not the art) but make no mistake, chemical weapons are not EVER a valid response to fandoms you don't like. If this was really a intentional malicious act the person/s responsible need to be caught ASAP because they are clearly sociopaths and fully willing to harm and potential kill others for immensely petty reasons.

 

[jackpipsam]

As a Brony this is the kind of threats I often see from extreme anti-Bronies and I have Furry friends and I know that they get the same kind of threats.

But I always assumed it was just gutless online threats from people who are insecure about themselves, I never thought someone would actually DO it.
Then again the hatred and ignorance from some people is beyond trolling.

I hope whoever did this is caught and justice brought upon them, a good few or more years in jail would straighten them out.

 

[Heartsib]

Geez, that's awful! I can only imagine how bad it would be if someone had pulled something like this at a con as big as SDCC. Glad it wasn't worse and hoping that those hospitalized make full and swift recoveries.

 

[Aikayai]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/08/chlorine-gas-leak-at-chicago-area-hotel-hosting-furries-convention-sickens-1/

They have.

And... It's actually.. Well, it's not bad, actually.

They still say it was a sci-fi convention, so they are still out of touch, but at least they didn't discriminate intentionally. The vibe I got was more stupidity, but that's Fox News.

I just hope we see some arrests for this.

 

[JarinArenos]

Okay, to be blunt... I don't care for the furry subculture in general. I don't join in the mocking but unless it gets really bad I don't stand against it either.

This... this is evil. I hope whatever twisted waste of life thought gassing a group of people they didn't like was an appropriate action gets treated as a domestic terrorist by Homeland Security.

 

[Thaluikhain]

chemical weapons are not EVER a valid response to fandoms you don't like.

...

I agree with you, but it just struck me that this is something that actually needs to be said.

 

[JackyG]

Jesus Christ Chlorine gas is no joke! They used that shit in WW1! People could have had their lungs melted... luckily it clearly wasn't as potent... luckily.

 

[Ark of the Covetor]

Has anyone questioned the local PETA office?

 

[Micalas]

This is sick. I've been to Anthrocon with my girlfriend. She's a furry (has a quadsuit she made and everything) and I'm a minor furry. The people at this con were some of the nicest I've ever met. While some probably were, the majority of them weren't having Caligula-esque blood orgies in their hotel rooms while a guy in a wolf suit windmills his penis for the delight of the crowd. They were just people who like animals.

I'm also upset that the hotel isn't offering refunds. If I were to get poisoned on someone else's property through no fault of my own, you better bet I'd be getting my money back. They are responsible for their guests.

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

Ya know I'm not exactly a huge fan of furries (yes I know what my avatar is, Its more the community, the fursuits and the whole "fursonna" thing that bothers me, not the art) but make no mistake, chemical weapons are not EVER a valid response to fandoms you don't like. If this was really a intentional malicious act the person/s responsible need to be caught ASAP because they are clearly sociopaths and fully willing to harm and potential kill others for immensely petty reasons.

I mostly want to highlight that one sentence there "Chemical weapons are not ever a valid response" the simple fact that this sentence exists is one of those things that I feel the need to laugh nervously about because that's freaking scary. In all seriousness if this is something you need to be told maybe you need to be in a padded room.

 

[Rednog]

I'll be honest I laughed my ass off when I heard about it. Mainly because my mom had called me up because she was at a Bridal show next door and she told me there was some kind of cartoon convention next door and that she heard there was a gas leak. Hours later when I turned on the news I found out it was a furry convention I couldn't help but laugh. I was tempted to tell my mom who they were and what a furry is, but I think I'll let her live in a bliss where these were just people dressing up as their favorite cartoons.