Several patrons close to the commotion experienced vomiting or fainting from the spray's noxious fumes and others, believing the club to have been hit with poison gas in a terrorist attack, rushed towards the exit.

[1] The exit was the steep front stairwell leading to the main entrance on the ground floor, the narrow doors of which opened inward – a fire code violation.

A city-issued court order showed that the owners, Dwain Kyles and Calvin Hollins, were guilty of eleven building code violations, including overcrowding and faulty exit lighting.

[6] On November 25, 2009, Kyles and Hollins were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges, but were found guilty of indirect criminal contempt for violating the court order to close the entire second floor of the club and were sentenced to two years' probation.

Plans were proposed in 2021 to demolish the structure and redevelop the property with an affordable housing development for senior citizens, with a memorial to the victims of the stampede to be included in designs.

In November 2024, the Commission Chicago Landmarks denied the developer a permit to demolish the building,[11] which is a contributing property to the Motor Row Historic District.