Furry Convention Becomes Site of Alleged Chemical Attack

At least 19 people were hospitalized early Sunday after an alleged chemical attack at a furry convention in suburban Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Thousands of people who were staying at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, had to evacuate the hotel, which was hosting the Midwest FurFest convention, after an "intentional" chlorine gas incident.

The incident occurred around 12:40 p.m. Sunday, according to the Rosemont Public Safety Department. Nineteen people were sent to the hospital after the third alarm chemical leak was discovered near spreading across the ninth floor of the hotel. The department said there was a high level of chlorine gas in the air.

Those who went to the hospital were complaining of nausea, dizziness and other medical problems.

The Midwest FurFest is a weeklong event for people who enjoy dressing up as anthropomorphic animals, otherwise known as furries. The event brings in thousands of people each year, according to the Midwest FurFest website.

Police say hazardous materials technicians found the source of the chlorine gas, which appeared to be powdered chlorine located in a stairwell at the ninth floor of the hotel.

People weren't allowed back into the hotel until 4:20 a.m., according to a statement from FurFest. The newspaper points out many furriest, dressed up as animals, were forced to stand outside in the cold night while tests were carried out to make sure the hotel was safe to return to.

"At 1:10 AM the entire hotel was evacuated, first across Bryn Mawr Ave. in front of the Hyatt as per Rosemont Fire Department's standard procedures, then when it became apparent that the wait would take longer, the Stephens Convention Center was opened to provide warmth and shelter to our guests," the FurFest statement reads.

One of the attendees of FurFest told the Tribune he had been attending the event for years and that many of the other attendees were partying around the hotel when the alarm went off.

"A lot of people thought this was just someone pulling the fire alarm," Thomas Zell, 27, told the newspaper. He said it's not uncommon for someone to set off the alarm at an event like FurFest, "but it was serious this time," he added.