it was panic turning to fear. february 17th, 2003. the e2 nightclub, located one floor above the epitome restaurant in chicago s south loop, hopes to attract a large turnout with a special deejay performance. by 2:00 a.m., the club s security cameras are rolling as nearly 1,200 people pack inside. at the time, robert r. egan is the assistant state s attorney. the capacity for the club was just over 240 people. they had over four times that. frankly, they were wall to wall. it was literally jammed. suddenly, outside of the view of the cameras, a fight breaks out and a security guard discharges a can of pepper spray. the crowd reacted, not knowing what this was. somebody yelled out, poison gas!