I Survived the Most INFAMOUS Event in FURRY Convention History

[@sfstein417]

it was 2 drunk guys who stole chorine tablets from the pool and poured vodka on them. They came forward and admitted it was their fault! If you can, ask the security who were on staff at that con! they have much more information!

[@AshCoyote]

I will! Thank you for the tip

[@fightingwolf18]

So it was morons, not terrorists. That's good.

[@hugothepinkcat]

That's patently untrue. 1- There's no pool at The Hyatt 2- There was a police investigation that determined it to be an intentional release as the remains of a container and a mix of chlorine and MURIATIC ACID was found at the scene. And the gas levels were so concentrated at the source that the police's gas readers MAXED OUT near the drop point.

[@shutterwolf]

I'm glad you and Chip were okay in this rather serious incident. Yeah, I'll never forget when Joe & Mika on "Morning Joe" were laughing uncontrollably as several furries were hospitalized. I understand about the responses to fire alarms at hotels. I've been to furry and non-furry conventions where the fog machine has been the culprit for setting off the alarms.

[@AshCoyote]

Before that point so many folks would just pull the fire alarms as a "joke" and like everyone would just try to ignore it. I think we were all really confused when it turned out to be an actual problem.

[@FrozEnbyWolf150-b9t]

Sounds par for the course for Joe & Mika, given their disdain for anyone who isn't like them, and the way they've treated certain stories over the past year.

[@FoxedAroundSnep]

The scene outside the hotel was such chaos. No one wanted to go far because it was truly cold out. The crowd kept getting cordoned further back. I remember getting told by con staff we had to cross the street to the convention center side, and then getting yelled at for being in the street by the cops. It was poorly coordinated. Thank goodness it was only 4,500 people that year.

[@Westleymiller1343]

I do find the news reporters extra infuriating. I just dont think its good to joke about a gas attack as its going on

[@AshCoyote]

I had such a hard time watching that happen in real time

[@FoxedAroundSnep]

It was shockingly unprofessional. I doubt few other groups would have been treated the same.

[@invaderhorizongreen8168]

given that this kind of gas will screw up your lungs for life.

[@deidrefink]

I remember hearing this and as a kid I thought this was so rude, isn’t attacking people bad, doesn’t matter if it didn’t kill anyone it was night time, freezing, and they forced tons of people out of their nice warm rooms like get over it that these people are enjoying a hobby you can’t understand

[@AshCoyote]

It was super scary in the moment

[@nordicpawsproductions465]

That's scary ash i remember hearing about this 10 years ago. I'm glad you're ok.

[@AshCoyote]

Its crazy to think its been 10 years already

[@BeckyScottFairley]

There isa podcast called "Fur and Loathing" which does go into the failings of the police and some of the possible suspects of it.Even interviewing them.

[@AshCoyote]

Its super amazing tbh, I gave it a listen

[@thatonelucariofan503]

First off, I’m so glad you’re okay! Second, sorry to be a downer, but I find it so annoying that moments like this have to be a thing in our fandom. If only people could just leave us alone and respect what we’re into, but instead we end up with moments like this that we have to deal with as a fandom, also stuff like those insensitive newscasters on tv who laughed about the event as if there’s anything funny about it. Ridiculous

[@hazelgrunts]

When you were telling this story I was picturing like a frozen wasteland, but then I looked up the winter temps in Chicago and was underwhelmed. I mean, it would still suck to be out in that of course, especially underdressed in the night, but dang people really exaggerate how cold Chicago is

[@AshCoyote]

It depends on what you’re used to. The wind is what really gets you.

[@FoxedAroundSnep]

As someone who was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I promise you it was cold. And it took a long time for adjacent venues to open to the public. It was not particularly cold that night for Chicago but was cold enough to be dangerous. There were people who were very drunk and having trouble because it was so cold.

[@hazelgrunts]

@ yeah I get that, I don’t mean to downplay the situation or anything

[@dogkisserzeta]

literally every foreigner be like: Bro, you haven't even seen January. we regularly reach sub-zero temperatures every year. not to mention in January of 2019, it was -50 degrees and a blizzard for 3 days straight... and even last January it was -20 degrees, a snowstorm, and below zero for a whole week. it's not that people exaggerate the weather... it's just that the weather changes in an instant. live in Chicago for a whole year and you'll understand...

[@IorekByrnison086]

Wow. This mustve been terrifying for everyone. Heard about it and am amazed that the police haven't caught the perp already.

[@AshCoyote]

Its still unsolved. Kinda blows my mind given how big the investigation was.

[@lonewolfofficial6058]

As long as you were ok, that’s what matters most!

[@AshCoyote]

Just very very very cold for the most part

[@AndersenMiller-g1t]

The sad part is, some people laughed during this event. The fucking media who was reporting, laughed😢

[@thefinaldegree]

@@AndersenMiller-g1t think it's a bit weird to in the same video start with laughing at the event, then get mad at someone else laughing at it? Nobody should've laughed and everyone should have been out of the building within 5 minutes.

[@oldmonkey7720]

u mean that poor news lady? it was not her fault - she cant help herself....😂😂😂

[@SparklesLunarSparkles]

Fr reasons why I hate the news people

[@KyleUltima9189]

Yeah there aren't that many people out there that are compassionate sadly

[@ozfoxaroo]

I'm very much looking forward to this. Unfortunately for me it will be on at 5:00am AEDT.

[@AshCoyote]

Its a wild story for sure! Let me know what you think when you watch it

[@ozfoxaroo]

@@AshCoyote Oh my goodness, I know those two fursuiters at the start of the video! That’s Captain Otter and Moskintia Dragon. They’re both from the same city as myself. Were they at Midwest FurFest 2014? 😲 I empathize with you wanting to ignore the fire alarm. The building where I live has frequent false alarms for over five years since the property management “upgraded” the sensors. Most of the time I do obey the evacuation order, except on one occasion that was just after midnight, whereupon I stuck my head under a pillow until the fire brigade arrived to turn the damn thing off. 🤬 British accent: _“Oi Ash, we’re going to my hotel.”_ Wall-to-wall furries LMAO! I can just picture that. 🤣 6:23 “We had to figure out something before we turned into furry popsicles.” - You missed an opportunity to say “PawPsicles.” 😉 A pancake restaurant to the rescue, AGAIN! When we finally reached our gloried(?) beacon of hope, it was packed - Yeah, I saw that coming. 😔 Wikipedia: “The statute of limitations ran out in 2019” and “nobody has been charged”. Statute of limitations is such a stupid law. 🤬 Down here only very minor offenses have a SoL. A chlorine gas attack would remain under investigation.

[@Gir_Em0P0ny]

We never can forget this , Ash keep ur video's up this was a good one and something we all can't forget.

[@AshCoyote]

Thank you!

[@electrofonickitty823]

I heard a similar story from my friend, Nuri. She was lucky to not be s critter cube. It was really worrying for me, but again I work two conventions and mostly it reminded me of the chaos of Animeland Wasabi

[@duskernightshade3037]

My friend was at MFF 2014, I remember he called me and told me everything. I couldn't believe it at first, I honestly thought I misheard him. So scary. Glad no one was seriously hurt.

[@AshCoyote]

I am glad no one was seriously hurt as well. It was super scary in the moment

[@simchaT-lw2wf]

I’m glad that you and your friends were okay and made light of a scary situation. AND story times with Ash are becoming my favorite - please keep em coming!

[@AshCoyote]

I will keep making them! I have a bunch on the way

[@huskywolf17596]

Wow, that must be the biggest furry convention news in history and that sounded very scary to a lot of the furry’s that were there to witness it but I’m glad you and your friend and everyone else is OK and safe ❤

[@omegafolf]

I still remember that night. I was in the lobby, heading to my room when the alarm went off. I ended going outside, shuffling back and forth between people saying it's safe to back and getting told to GTFO of the hotel. Eventually i was sending messages to group chats once I heard what was going on, making sure everyone i knew that was there was okay. It was a relief when someone managed to get ahold of someone from the convention center to let us in temporarily to get us out of the cold. I spent that time walking around, looking at so many faces of relief of knowing everyone in their group was ok to bewilderment of the situation. When the all clear came, it was so silent. Also, probably one of the most orderly uses of the elevator I'd seen. I do hope one day we find out who caused it.

[@AshCoyote]

I hope we get answers someday as well but I am not holding my breath on that one. It feels like something that will go unsolved.

[@chris_is_here_oh_no]

Excellent video, I remember this con as well! Kagi handled the media so well.

[@AshCoyote]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@catshave9lives]

Tiny little fan here! love ya Ash!

[@AshCoyote]

awwwww thank you

[@iriskrane2433]

Glad you were okay! Was nice to meet you at MFF 2024, btw, happy that the negative experience didn’t put a bad reputation on the convention!

[@AshCoyote]

It was nice to meet you too!

[@PawwzieKitty]

Wait... I think I must have been in that same packed room as you! I remember the thing with the security guard coming to the door, I recall one of the hiding furs turned off a fan that was running in the room while the security was talking at the door which caused people to start snikkering and thats what led to him doing the check and kicking everyone out!

[@ShallieDragon]

This was the year before my first MFF. I lived out east at the time, so it wasn't exactly close. It sounds like I dodged a bullet.

[@AshCoyote]

It was a rough experience but I still loved the convention

[@Blaze_The_Fire_Wolf]

I’ll be interested to hear from your experience about the infamous gas attack that occurred in 2014. It was on the news as well plus it’s a good day to post this on Friday The 13th.

[@AshCoyote]

It’s a wild story and a heck of a day to premiere it

[@amandaspeicher7801]

Whoever did that was sick and twisted, you guys were expressing yourselves and not hurting anyone. And when people laugh at serious events like this it really burns me up inside.😡

[@ramonsanchez6903]

Great vid Ask i enjoyed and loved it hope everyone got out of there safely

[@AshCoyote]

We were all fine!

[@ramonsanchez6903]

Aw yay Ash but it still bites that someone could put none fursuiters and people that just vaca there

[@legallyrequired]

Its the equivalent of an attack at a pride parade. I wish more people outside the fandom understood that. With a large majority of the fandom being queer this could honestly be considered a hate-crime, but because it took place at a furry convention it wasn’t seen as that. Even if it was an attack on a pride event or another queer space, in 2014 I bet reporters and the general public would’ve reacted with the same laughter anyways.

[@AshCoyote]

It was insane to me that almost everyone treated it like a joke despite the seriousness of it all

[@deafeningoctopus]

Good video, and a story well told. I'm so glad there were no serious injuries, and I'm glad you guys were ok. Unfortunately it seems like this case will never be solved, but I just hope it never happens again.

[@AshCoyote]

It is super frustrating that this will remain unsolved. I feel like if it was any other group the culprits would have been caught.

[@Bellus-cv8bz]

Some people says it was a failed attempt to make a d**g but im convinced it was an antifur I mean how can you do m*****d gas by failing at mixing some no legal substances but you were there so im curious to know your point of view About that

[@AshCoyote]

I have heard a lot of theories over the years. I feel like it could have been a lot of different things but the most likely scenario to me is an accidental mixing of chemicals.

[@baphnedia]

When I hear the words "gas attack", it's usually because I farted in a confined space and coworkers can't take the heat.

[@AshCoyote]

Omfg baph

[@brushnut1909]

Thankfully I was visiting a nearby hotel with a Wild Dog at the time. It was all clear by the time I got back.

[@AshCoyote]

glad to hear you were okay

[@EvaCarver-19b]

and the news reporters didn't help with the situation either. 😡

[@thefinaldegree]

I'm glad you were okay: but that was a factually stupid decision to ignore the fire alarm 😢

[@AshCoyote]

It was an exceptionally stupid decision on my part and one that I am thankful to have learned from

[@thefinaldegree]

@@AshCoyote I got noticed?! Hello! Really really loved your furry documentary, I've watched it like 7 times now 🤣

[@honeybelle1203]

I'm just glad you are okay, as other comments have stated. I went to MFF from 2010 to 2013, and wanted to go in 2014 especially because it would have been happening over my 18th birthday but kept forgetting to make the plans til it was too late 🫣 And, well... you know. Bullet dodged and all.

[@AshCoyote]

It was a rough experience but one that really impacted how I view the community as a whole. It honestly was probably the catalyst for my own works with documentary.

[@yiffytimes]

Scar The Fur is planning a video that covers the Police and Fire Dept reports

[@FoxedAroundSnep]

Fur and Loathing podcast did some great work getting documents out of the feds. There was a video team with him too and I don't think I ever saw anything come from them.

[@BeckyScottFairley]

@@FoxedAroundSnep whatever video might still be in post production stages now since the audio didn't come out till June.

[@yiffytimes]

@@FoxedAroundSnep Turns you can get a copy of those reports from Rosemont right now. Be warned it's over 100 pages long.

[@tschillintsoulntai9285]

Thinking back, of the 22 cons I've physically attended in the past 15 years, I only recall hearing the fire alarm once (2 cons ago). I'd never considered it was a common occurrence outside the 4 groups/6 event spaces… (elevator issues on the other claw…)

[@AshCoyote]

I seem to have had a much higher incidence of these experiences. I want to say its happened to us at least 7 times

[@geoscout87]

I was there 10 years ago too. It's part of why I staff mff now in the emergency management space and first aid.

[@aquatic-protogen]

To me. Chicago would be south. Maybe a tad warmer. Its best to stay moving in the cold. Gets the blood moving... And wearing multiple shirts... Thats some Wisconsin winter wisdom for ya Glad to hear you got out alright btw.

[@venessafugi6768]

I’m trying not to use the word hate as much, but those reporters do kinda infuriate me. Laughing at people who just got attacked? That’s messed up. I’m sorry you guys went through that, and I hope y’all are doing okay today! ❤❤❤❤

[@Blaze_The_Fire_Wolf]

It’s sad that this incident happened but thankfully and hopefully MFF has probably put in some big installments and measurements to be sure this doesn’t happen again, thankfully no one was killed but definitely would’ve put me on edge if I was there.

[@AshCoyote]

It was a really scary situation when looking at how it played out

[@FoxedAroundSnep]

Only later having heard summaries of the police, fire, and FBI reports do I understand just how dire the situation was. That only 19 people where hospitalized is a miracle. MFF keeps growing which is a testament to the strength of the fandom. This assault didn't phase us a bit.

[@OnePoundBird]

i went to a furry con (WENT WRONG) (ALMOST DIED)

[@AshCoyote]

omg I hope you are okay

[@CiaranSheridan-vv2yp]

So tiny room wasn’t the tardis then?

[@AshCoyote]

It was so packed in that room

[@Horsefur]

omg that's me DJing at 0:13 for a split second at AFC

[@alexthekitsune8740]

Man that hella suck Ash I’m glad you’re safe

[@AshCoyote]

me too

[@im_poppi]

i heard about this, im glad you're ok

[@im_poppi]

hate has gone too far these days

[@idk-o9e]

Wild that this happened 10 years ago

[@AshCoyote]

makes me feel OLD AF

[@jfm6573]

Oh so you're telling me we could find the guy who did 9/11 but we can't find a guy who did a chlorine gas attack in a hotel. Is there not cameras? Because if it was an HVAC system, he would have most likely had to go up towards the roof, if not in a place where there's a shitload of security measures

[@Arctic_toast]

0:26 i thought it was a shower

[@CalypsoAteWorms]

To be honest, I don’t understand why the news reporters were laughing about something that could cause death.

[@twyxelmyumi]

What night did this happen!? I was at mff though I stayed at a different hotel. In fact, i think i saw you there in partial fursuit. Should have said something and asked if it was ok to get a pic with you.😅 though you were moving fast so all i did was wave, then you were gone from the convention center lobby.

[@AshCoyote]

I want to say the alarms went off late Saturday night or early morning Sunday. I know we were able to get back into our rooms Sunday morning

[@twyxelmyumi]

@AshCoyote must have happened sunday morning. My roommate didn't get back until after 1am. And it's like a 15 minute drive back to our room.

[@Bluecomet_833]

Dang… everything is going downhill these days.

[@chancegoodling]

My system updated

[@Bluecomet_833]

Good

[@MinecraftBey0nd]

OMG! i heard about it, but this is insane!

[@AshCoyote]

It was a wild experience

[@SQWAUKSQWAUK]

6:27 Furry Pawbsicles 😋

[@me_z3r0]

This will be the reason i dont watch news.

[@oldmonkey7720]

hah i remember that famous TV report about it 😂😂😂

[@AshCoyote]

Its pretty cursed

[@oldmonkey7720]

@AshCoyote i am not sure which one you mean? Like right in the place at that time? I was mentioning that morning show or what was it, where that lady saw furries for the first time and nearly dies laughin😄

[@Xylo-The-Artist]

Why would they do that 😭

[@pip509]

usa

[@AshCoyote]

too real

[@TikyuratheTikyura]

Ur not wrong lol

[@xenodps]

I gotta be lowkey honest, I'm glad yall safe. But that incident was fucked up. If being honest.

[@jessdank7832]

My god, is this furry drama tasty!! why can't people just let people be! to be honest, if you want to dress as an animal and have fun doing it, who am i to judge hell, most fun iv had drinking are with suiters

[@EaseeCheesee]

@@jessdank7832 exactlyyyy!! its literally just recreational mascoting! It's for fun!

[@ajkiel17]

yay furries

[@StanleytheCat-v8z]

Poggers trans woman.

[@mohamadamirul3060]

Watafak

[@TristanLaplante-bl4db]

Only at the shower

[@N365-z5v]

Ferry’s suck

[@hugothepinkcat]

@@N365-z5v that's not nice to ferries

[@AshCoyote]

those poor ferries

[@Blu_Jay_Wcue]

Poor ferries 😔

[@TwiztidCrypt]

n murder drones how could you

[@Raincloud-cds]

Bro not the ferries 😭🤚

[@tmdrake]

Drama furs!