Tentative Deal Reached in Nightclub Stampede Lawsuit
A tentative agreement worth $1.5 million was announced Wednesday to settle claims stemming from a stampede at a South Side nightclub that killed 21 people and injured dozens in 2003.
The deal is between 83 plaintiffs and four defendants connected to the E2 nightclub -- club owner Dwain Kyles, partner Calvin Hollins Jr., the corporate entity behind E2 and Lesly Benodin, the owner of the club’s building.
The agreement still must be approved by the court.
Cook County Judge Kathy M. Flanagan said Wednesday that she would review the settlement but did not say if it would be approved. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 8.
“In no way am I just granting this motion,” Flanagan said. “There are things that need to be documented and supplemented.”
The lawsuit continues against other defendants, most notably the city of Chicago, accused of failing to ensure that the club building was safe.
Many of the people present at the time stampeded for the exits. The victims were trapped and crushed as they tried to make their way down a staircase and press through a vestibule 32 inches wide.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
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