[2] Around 10:45 PM, three young men (initial reports said four)[3] were refused entry to the upstairs bar, as they appeared excessively intoxicated.

Upset by this, Gilles Eccles, James O’Brien and Jean-Marc Boutin set a fire on the staircase that served as the only regular entrance or exit for the Wagon Wheel's customers.

[3] With the primary escape route blocked by the fire advancing upward toward the crowded[3] bar, its patrons sought out other exits.

[1] Police and firefighters found bodies in the bathrooms, huddled in a corner that had no exit, and jammed in a rear section of the club close to a back entrance.

A mass was held as well as a march by families of the victims along with a photo exhibit at city hall, with a vigil on September 1.

[7] In August 2020, it was reported that James O'Brien violated his parole for the third time in the past decade for being intoxicated with alcohol and was sent back to prison.

On September 1, 2022, a 50th anniversary memorial was held in Phillips Square that included survivors and relatives of people who lost their lives in the fire.