2014 Midwest FurFest gas attack

Chemical attack in Illinois, U.S. December 2025 July 2024 File:Midwest FurFest 2014 attendees returning after evacuation.jpg Nighttime photo of five people walking across a street. One is wearing a white fur suit and another a gas mask and high-visibility jacket. A fire engine is parked in the background with its lights on. Convention goers returning after the evacuation Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois 41 58 52 N 87 51 33 W type:event_region:US-IL inline,title 2014 12 07 12:45 a.m. CST Attendees at Midwest FurFest Mass poisoning Chlorine gas 0 40+ Unknown Unknown On December 7, 2014, Midwest FurFest was targeted by a chlorine gas attack, hospitalizing 19 attendees.Chachkevitch Alexandra Ziezulewicz Geoff December 7, 2014 'Furry' convention disrupted as 'intentional' gas incident sends 19 to hospitals https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-19-hospitalized-thousands-evacuated-in-gas-leak-at-rosemont-hotel-20141207-story.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150101071229/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-19-hospitalized-thousands-evacuated-in-gas-leak-at-rosemont-hotel-20141207-story.html January 1, 2015 June 10, 2024 Chicago Tribune December 7, 2014 At Hyatt-Regency, Rosemont: Glass Jar with White Substance, Strong Chlorine Smell Causes Firefighter, EMS Hazmat Response, Evacuation https://www.arlingtoncardinal.com/2014/12/glass-jar-with-white-substance-strong-chlorine-smell-causes-firefighter-ems-hazmat-response-evacuation-at-hyatt-regency-rosemont/ June 10, 2024 Arlington Cardinal en-US June 9, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240609214456/https://www.arlingtoncardinal.com/2014/12/glass-jar-with-white-substance-strong-chlorine-smell-causes-firefighter-ems-hazmat-response-evacuation-at-hyatt-regency-rosemont/ live At the time, Midwest FurFest was the second-largest furry convention in the United States, with over 5,400 attendees.Midwest FurFest 2014 Information https://furrycons.com/event/4828/midwest-furfest-2014 June 10, 2024 FurryCons.com June 10, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240610221631/https://furrycons.com/event/4828/midwest-furfest-2014 live Swann Jennifer February 10, 2016 CSI Fur Fest: The Unsolved Case of the Gas Attack at a Furry Convention https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-mystery-of-who-launched-the-chlorine-gas-attack-at-a-midwest-furry-convention/ June 10, 2024 Vice en The convention took place at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, from December 5 to 7. Timeline Around 12:45 a.m. on the final night of the convention, the Rosemont Public Safety Department received several reports of a noxious odor on the ninth floor of the hotel. December 7, 2014 19 Hospitalized After Chemical Leak Interrupts FurFest https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/intentional-chemical-leak-at-hyatt-regency/122186/ June 10, 2024 WMAQ-TV en-US Associated Press At 1:10 a.m. the hotel was evacuated and guests were sent to the Stephens Convention Center.Statement on Sunday Morning's Evacuation December 7, 2014 http://www.furfest.org/Evacuation_Statement June 10, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20141207193011/http://www.furfest.org/Evacuation_Statement December 7, 2014 Midwest FurFest Hazmat technicians decontaminated the area for two hours and the building was reopened at 4:21 a.m. Investigation Firefighters investigating the scene found a broken glass jar filled with white powder on the ninth floor of the emergency stairway, as well as a liquid on the walls. The air in the stairwell and in the hotel's large atrium both registered high levels of chlorine gas. The concentration within the stairwell was measured above 60 ppm, surpassing the meter's maximum range. Samples of both the powder and liquid were taken, but due to improperly calibrated equipment the results were inconclusive.https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ Fur and Loathing Episode 1: Broken Glass Brazen May 6, 2024 June 23, 2024 Woolf Nicky June 24, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240624095315/https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ live In the hours after the gas leak, the Rosemont police said the evidence "suggests an intentional act" and began a criminal investigation.Lambert Fred December 7, 2014 Chlorine gas incident at 'Furry' convention hospitalizes 19 https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/12/07/Police-investigating-chlorine-gas-incident-at-Furry-convention-as-criminal-act/1671418000379/ June 10, 2024 UPI Rosemont, IL en January 21, 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250121000352/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/12/07/Police-investigating-chlorine-gas-incident-at-Furry-convention-as-criminal-act/1671418000379/ live In the following days, the police and FBI interviewed suspects, hotel guests and employees, and hospital workers, among others. The FBI continued to interview suspects until 2019, when the Illinois statute of limitations ran out.https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ Episode 4: The Furry With The Gas Fur and Loathing Brazen Woolf Nicky May 27, 2024 11:56 June 23, 2024 June 24, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240624095315/https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ live As of 2026, nobody has been charged in this case.Patch O'Furr July 11, 2022 Debunking: The Asheville bomb arrest, Confederate Fursuiter, and Midwest Furfest attack https://dogpatch.press/2022/07/11/debunking-asheville-furfest-attack/ June 23, 2024 Dogpatch Press en-US June 23, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240623230238/https://dogpatch.press/2022/07/11/debunking-asheville-furfest-attack/ live According to a sergeant of the Rosemont Public Safety Department interviewed by the FBI, over 40 people were treated and evaluated by emergency medical services, with 19 requiring hospitalization.Midwest FurFest Convention Part 01 -Final (FOIA Release) 2025-01-10 86 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Midwest_FurFest_Convention_Part_01_-Final_(FOIA_Release).pdf 2026-05-12 Federal Bureau of Investigation Wikimedia Commons Media coverage On December 8, the MSNBC show Morning Joe was covering the attack. While reporting the news, hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough started laughing, leaving Willie Geist to finish reading the segment. The broadcast cut to an interview with Dr. Samuel Conway, and when the hosts returned, Mika Brzezinski was running out of the studio.Roy Jessica December 8, 2014 Morning Joe Hosts Totally Lose It During Segment on Furries https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/12/morning-joe-mika-furries.html June 27, 2024 Intelligencer en June 27, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240627192240/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/12/morning-joe-mika-furries.html live Strike Joe https://www.worldcat.org/title/982604556 Furry nation: the true story of America's most misunderstood subculture Cleis Press 2017 978-1-62778-232-6 1st Jersey City, NJ 248–249 982604556 Many furries were offended by this dismissive coverage of the event. In 2024, reporter Nicky Woolf released Fur & Loathing, an investigative podcast series about the event.Sturges Fiona May 12, 2024 Fur & Loathing podcast probes the mysterious poisoning of people in animal costumes — review https://www.ft.com/content/fe9afd8d-6a19-4395-b537-77a0a51e1a95 June 27, 2024 Financial TimesMarriott James May 7, 2024 Fur and Loathing review — this dive into the attack on furries has me hooked https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/fur-and-loathing-review-this-dive-into-the-attack-on-furries-has-me-hooked-b59jd8lh6 June 27, 2024 The Times en June 27, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240627194646/https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/fur-and-loathing-review-this-dive-into-the-attack-on-furries-has-me-hooked-b59jd8lh6 live The podcast interviewed two of the FBI's prime suspects in the case, including Robert Sojkowski (AKA Magnus Diridian), a well known controversial figure within the fandom.https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ Episode 5: Magnus Fur and Loathing Brazen Woolf Nicky June 10, 2024 June 27, 2024 June 24, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240624095315/https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ live https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ Episode 6: Chimera Fur and Loathing Brazen Woolf Nicky June 17, 2024 June 27, 2024 June 24, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240624095315/https://brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/ live Fur & Loathing was featured in Time "Best Podcasts of 2024 So Far" articleDockterman Eliana May 31, 2024 The Best Podcasts of 2024 So Far https://time.com/6977532/best-podcasts-2024-so-far/ June 27, 2024 TIME en June 27, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240627025027/https://time.com/6977532/best-podcasts-2024-so-far/ live and Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 "Jealousy List".December 4, 2024 Jealousy List 2024 https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-jealousy-list/ December 4, 2024 Bloomberg Businessweek December 17, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241217213315/https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-jealousy-list/ live References Category:2014 in Illinois Category:Furry conventions Category:Rosemont, Illinois Category:Unsolved crimes in the United States Category:Unidentified American criminals Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2014 Category:Attacks on entertainment venues Category:Improvised explosive device bombings in 2014 Category:Chemical weapons attacks Category:December 2014 crimes in the United States Category:2010s crimes in Illinois Category:Mass poisonings Category:Furry fandom