Video Of The Station Nightclub Fire

Need to see just how quickly a nightclub can go from a party to a death trap? This video was taken by WPRI-TV cameraman Brian Butler. It's visual documentation of the Feb. 20, 2003 Station fire that claimed the lives of 100 people, including White Lion guitarist Ty Longley. Warning: Disturbing images lie within.

How To Survive A Nightclub Fire

In doing some research into deaths at nightclubs, I’ve stumbled upon some disturbing trends concerning fires that too often kill both performers and audience members. People who enjoy their nightclubs may want to keep these things in mind, since many pop up in more than one disaster

1. Don’t lock the fire exits. Many nightclub owners and managers seem to hate their emergency exits and either lock or chain them to keep people from getting in the club without paying. The majority of deadly nightclub fires have this element. In the case of the Rhythm Club, windows hand been boarded up to keep anyone from being able to hear the music outside, and in the case of the Ozone Disco Club, a new building had magically sprung up to block the fire exits.

2. Don’t use pyrotechnics if the building can’t handle it.. The Lame Horse fire in Russia, Republica Cromanon fire in Argentina, the Wuwang fire in China, and The Station fire that took the life of Great White lead guitarist Ty Longley were all started by pyrotechnics.

3. Don’t rush the front door. Unless, of course, it truly is the closet door to you. It seems to be human nature to try to go out the same door you came in. What seems to happen in a nightclub fire is that people rush the door, cause a stampede or otherwise block the door, causing many deaths from trampling and trapping others inside to be killed by the smoke and flames. Provided the fire exits actually work, try heading out one of them.

Robin Munis: Tragic Murder Of A Singer

Robin Munis had a clear, deep, soulful voice, dark long hair, and a warm and sincere smile that showed the world her inner peacefulness. She had four beautiful children whom she loved. She also had a troubled marriage that was blowing up. Munis had just separated from her husband, David Munis, whose constant telephone calls were beginning to upset her.

She contacted police on Friday, July 13, 2007, about harassing calls from her husband. Still, the calls didn’t seem threatening, and Robin planned to keep her appointment for that evening, a gig with her band, Ty and the Twisters, of which she was the lead vocalist. They were to play at the Old Chicago restaurant in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a familiar stage for the group.

Robin Munis was on that stage, singing, in front of a large crowd when, just after midnight, a pop sounded from the parking lot of Old Chicago. A glass door shattered, smoke filled the room, and Robin fell to the stage floor. She’d been shot by a single bullet from a high-power rifle, killed sniper-style in mid-song.

A manhunt began almost immediately, for the police had only one suspect in mind: Robin’s husband. David Munis was a staff sergeant in the Wyoming Army National Guard, and before that, a member of the U.S. Army, where he had attended a sniper school. Helicopters from his National Guard unit were used to help police try to track down their suspect.

Three days later, David Munis was found, still alive but with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest. He was airlifted to a hospital, but died within hours.

Sources:

Cameron Mathews, “Gunshot Echos Remain,” WyomingNews.com, July 17, 2007.

Becky Orr, “Manhunt Under Way, WyomingNews.com, July 15, 2007.

Cameron Mathews, “It’s Over: David Munis Dead Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound To Chest,” WyomingNews.com, July 18, 2007.

Lee Morgan: Interview with Billy Hart

Here is an mp3 interview (warning--sound file with bad language) I found from jazz drummer Billy Hart, where he describes the circumstances surrounding the on-stage murder of trumpet player Lee Morgan. I found this thanks to a Groove Notes article called "The Most Famous Murder In Jazz." Both article and
interview are worth checking out.