Yeah, what was striking was how he made an actual and heart felt apology. Obviously there are many guilty individuals who truly lack the ability to convey their feelings and will end up reading from a piece of paper that includes few of their own words. Thus leading to that fast paced monotone face down in the paper apology during these pre-sentencing statements. Can't fault them all for a lack of visible sincerity. But Mr. Biechele did the right and conveyed truly heart felt testimony here. That sincerity went a long way in his overall sentence and the suspended portion of that sentence. Also the reason why the victim's families almost unanimously worked towards reducing his already shortened incarcerated portion.
Gosh I hope he has found peace. When I’m in bed at night my mind ALWAYS wanders to mistakes I’ve made in my life and the people I’ve hurt, and it anguishesme to no end. I couldn’t imagine what this guy goes through when he lays in bed awake at night thinking of this tragedy
This statement brings me to tears. He is a good man who made a tragic mistake. He stood up and took responsibility while others lied and deflected blame. He wasn’t the one who knowingly filled the building with highly flammable foam. He wasn’t the one who sneakily upped the capacity to unacceptable numbers. He wasn’t the only one to light off pyro in that club (management had allowed it and likely gave him permission). He wasn’t the one who refused exit to patrons. I hope one day he is able to forgive himself.
He wasn't the former rock star, willing to endanger people, so he could have big explosions like he did back in 1988, and allowed his manager and the club to take all the blame.
The only one, the rest were cowards "Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. "In the period following this tragedy, it was Mr. Biechele, alone, who stood up and admitted responsibility for his part in this horrible event... He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said. Others pointed out that Biechele had sent handwritten letters to the families of each of the 100 victims and that he had a work release position in a local charity."
My heart breaks for him... yes, he was part of the 'perfect storm' of horrible decisions that night, but ultimately, it is the responsibility of the CLUB OWNERS to ensure the safety of their patrons.... this guy was a total scapegoat and yet he was a man about it.... and a truly remorseful one at that... I pray for peace for all who died, all their families and for Mr. Biechele.
I was a fan of Great White and I was on their tour bus many times in the late 1980's and the early 1990's. I was deeply affected by watching the Station Fire reports on the news day after day in 2003 while I was working at Macy's. I was their top Salesperson. I subsequently had a nervous breakdown and eventually after months on medical leave with the store I lost my job. I broke drown in tears watching Dan Biechele's pre-sentencing statement. This is truly heartbreaking for me to watch. My heart breaks for him and the families who lost loved ones in the Station Fire.
And my heart goes out to you . I had a mental breakdown after my wife left me and took my three girls from me . Lost a good government job . Now I am on disability . Watching this man's Anguish was very emotional for me also . Along with this poor man I hope you find peace and happiness in your life ! God Bless you !
The station nightclub fire is one of those events that just shocks the soul. I watched the footage a decade ago and I still cry when I am reminded of it.
the judge said this: "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself." whatching this you truely feel that. Daniel isn't a monster, he feel what any human would, but he's enough of a man to take the respincebilety for his actions. no amount of jail time can compare with the guilt he has to carry with him for the rest of his life.
I feel sorry for this guy, he was a god damn tour manager, not a pyro technics expert. Great White are a bunch of tools for letting this guy fry for their stupid horseshit. If I were the singer I would feel so much guilt for letting this dude do time for my BS. You are a good man Dan, not your fault buddy....
@@miked7212the singer isn’t liable either. He wasn’t in charge of the pyro. If anybody should be held accountable it should be the pyro technics experts. It was just a tragic mistake, they didn’t think it through , they didn’t think about the foam above the drum riser. It was reckless, but it wasn’t malicious or anything. It was just naivety
I just came from the memorial (actually in the parking lot of it right now) That had a quote of him saying that "I don't know if I could ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I don't expect anybody else to" and I said "Awww" outloud 😭😭💔💔😭😭
I started crying watching this. I was a frequent guest on Great Whites tour bus in the 80’s and 90’s. When this tragedy happened i was profoundly emotionally affected by it. I believe that Dan became the scapegoat for the incompetence and the negligence of MANY others in this case. My heart breaks for this poor man.
Jack Russell ran and hid in the tour bus listening to people who sent to see him play scream for their lives as they burned and all he could do was ask after the place burned down did everyone make it out? He didn't care. This guy was out there manning a fire hose trying to save lives. He is carrying a life sentence no matter what the sentence he received. He made a mistake that cost a hundred people their lives. His mistake affected hundreds of people. He is truly remorseful and I hope he finds a way to cope with this one day.
Jack Russells guitarist Ty died trying to save as many lives as he could. Jack probably watched him spring into action and said fuck that and ran. He didn't even tell people to leave when it started. He just looked at it and nonchalantly went "wow. That's not good" into the mic. Fucking idiot
Yeh. I do think he has more than atoned for his part in what happened. He made some bad decisions but he shouldn't have been up there taking all the blame. I truly hope he is doing ok and is able to put this behind him.
Gimmix89 The one who died, Tracy King, actually helped a lot of people get out. The 2 who were identified as blocking the exit are still alive, Scott Viera is one of them, can’t remember the name of the other one. It’s in the book “Killer Show”
I feel just awful for this guy. I certainly feel worse for the families who lost their loved ones, but it just seems as though this guy truly feels so bad... and it's really hard to blame him insofar that he's not a pyrotechnic expert. That is negligent in some ways, however, the club bears more responsibility than him IMO as it is their property and their decision as to whether such events can be allowed. Just a horrible situation, and I hope everyone involved has found peace. It is very nice to know that the families did not blame this man.
That was brutal.😥 In addition to his statement, Biechele apparently told his lawyers that he wanted to plead guilty in order to spare the families any more torment and pain. Moreover, He endured each and every punishingly painful victim impact statement.
I’d hate to have the burden of accidentally killing 100 people and wounding so many more. I believe him when he said he would do anything to give the people back their loved ones, and his remorse is genuine
Not an evil person. Just a person who made a mistake. As a human being who has made regrettable decisions that I will take to my grave, my respect and well wishes go out to him. RIP to the victims as well.
This guy is a scapegoat !! The Club Owners and Fire Inspector are the ONLY ones who belong in jail !! As for the Pyro Technics a simple no from the Owners would have prevented the whole thing as well as not chaining the Fire Exit doors closed !! Crooked local Government and City Departmental Officials are to blame ...
+Aaron Manderscheid None of the doors were locked or chained. There were four exits: A lot of people were turned away from the door next to the stage. The front door was where the huge crush took place. The bar door was used by quite a few, but some reported that it was unable to open at first due to a vaccuum that the fire created. The door in the kitchen was known only to employees. And there was no door near the bathrooms- the one that had been there at some point in the past had been walled over.
I agree, he made a mistake letting them use the pyrotechnics but the club owners are the ones who didn't adhere to the fire regulations. And I heard some bouncers didn't even let people out of the back exits. Everyone is at fault here
@@myoldvhstapesMaybe it's a good idea to have a safety announcement prior to a concert, similar to what they do on planes. If the show takes place in a closed venue, people should know the exits in advance prior to the show.
I believe he is sincere. He had no motive to cause such devastation. The fact that a large number of victims families support him is, in my opinion, a testament to his character. Dave Kane is a smart man, and he would know if he was being duped. Biechele made a huge mistake...and even if he up and refused to take part in the fireworks, someone else would have likely done it. We never seem to truly learn from our mistakes. Furthermore, I think Dan likely suffers from a form of PTSD called perpetrator trauma. In spite of what he has done, I hope he does not hurt himself.
Michael Gallant Exactly. I do feel sorry for Biechele, he was careless but he wasn't the only factor in this disaster. Lots of things combined to create that terrible outcome, and lots of other people were jointly responsible. He had the decency and integrity to admit his part in the events, and to my knowledge he was the only one who pled guilty, while all others tried to play down or deny their liability. Personally I have a lot of respect for him, and I know a lot of station survivors and families do as well.
Very sad across the board. That was brutal...not gonna lie... I cried watching this. I can only imagine how traumatic this was for everyone. Losing one person is horrific, but losing 100, with hundreds injured, is unfathomable. I don't know if I could ever recover after hearing all of the victim impact statements that highlight the lives of so many beautiful people who were killed in such a terrifying manner. I wanted to hate Dan Biechele for his role in this nightmare, but it was very apparent he was remorseful. When I heard that he had hand written 100 letters to the families if the victims, I was very moved. It is so hard to come to terms with the fact that so many people were devastated by a careless, senseless, and totally avoidable occurrence. I hope the letters were helpful to family members who chose to read them, and cathartic for Mr. Beichele, as everyone tries to heal from this horrible tragedy.
There's a line of responsibility in this whole tragedy, and no matter what angle you look at it, the inspector is the one who gave the ultimate green light for this incident to take place. Him allowing the Derderian bros. to use the foam and let them get away with no sprinklers is ultimately the issue here. Of course the fireworks were an issue, and for that obviously the responsibility goes to the owners. But this guy was simply doing his job, and was simply given permission by someone else to do the pyrotechnics. I'm not saying a fire wouldn't have happened if there were sprinklers and no foam, but I truly believe most, if not all the people there on that tragic night would have been able to escape in time.
@@vexxevxevvex2622 A sprinkler system with a smoke dissipation system if designed right would definitely had saved lives that night. I work as a Fire Protection engineer and the systems they use today are only getting smarter and more advanced. Its a shame but Owners are ultimately responsible for there actions. They should have never used pyros in that building ceiling was far too low even if that insulation was not used. Horrible tragedy and I just hope the families can find some peace knowing that many laws and regulations have gotten stricter from this so families hopefully are not put in a careless situation like this again.
I also think this guy was used as the scapegoat. The possibility of a catastrophic fire at this club should have been detected by inspectors. I've never forgotten the horror I felt when I saw the news of this tragedy. God bless you all.
I have always wondered why none of the inspectors were ever charged with a crime related to this tragedy. It was just as much their job to protect club goers as it was the club owners’ responsibility. And it was almost as much the fault of the inspectors as it was that of the owners that the unsafe conditions which led to the fire still existed on the night of the fire. The only thing the owners were responsible for that the inspectors were *not* a party to was for permitting the pyrotechnics.
Apparently they were selling the place the very next day! but yes, ultimately they are responsible, it was in there house, they were in charge, and they let this happen, they had a total disregard for safty.
Jack Russell should have seen a jail cell also! He got out and ran to his tour bus and watched the whole time, then ask, did everyone get out? I hope Great White contributed money for these victims families!!
I read that Jack wanted to donate money, but the majority of the survivors and families of the victims didn't want anything to do with it. They considered it blood money.
This tragedy happened 21 years ago yet it still feels like it was just a couple of months ago. I live in the UK and I don’t know if there was much publicity about this event, however I can only begin to try and imagine how terrified everybody must’ve been and how much pain was caused to those living, with the haunting events. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to have to lose loved ones and I pray for peace for all. This reminds me so much of the Grenfell Tower fire, because again blame is being deflected from person to person, company to company, it’s sickening and disgusting. The club owners should have gotten a much much harsher sentence as they are the ones who are supposed to keep the club in check so that it could have operated safely.
I was thinking of the UK this week with the anniversary of Hillsborough. Since the Station, I've always felt a kinship with that crowd crush. If memory serves, both tragedies had 96 dead for a while.
no fire extinguisher close at hand when igniting outdoor fireworks inside in a building that is older than he is?! could you be more careless! I feel sorry for him too, he obviously has a conscience, and he was the one who pulled the proverbial trigger, I do believe he never will forget, and the pain he will carry for the rest of his life is huge, his time served was fair in my opinion, I watched the owners finial statements and the brother who got four years didn't think any of it was his fault, and you could tell this didn't keep him up at night, while the other who was there and served no jail time was obviously still being tortured over it, that was the first time I've ever seen a judge make the right decision of punishment based on the actions of the defended, when in reality Jack Russell should've definitely seen the inside of a jail cell for his roll, he was the leader of the band, and the band set the fire, end of story.
+Tony Parker I knew some people who were customers of Michael Derderian at his insurance place. It was the time period after the fire but before he went to jail. They said he was suicidal.
+My Old VHS Tapes I watched the video of the fire....I shouldn't have. It's been haunting me, I can only imagine what it must be like for those that were there, it's got to torture your mind beyond belief.
Imagine how many mistakes we all make. Driving or cooking or building but our asses get saved by a responsible person observing or monitoring etc. This guy made a mistake but the venue let it happen. NO sprinkers. Flammable foam everywhere. 2 exits barricaded off. A bouncer who blocked people. And they were at over capacity. The venue staff are the real villains here. This guy took the fall.
I don’t think any exits were barricade off. There were 4 exits, one of which was in the kitchen, so most ppl weren’t aware of it. The stage exit was only briefly available due to being in close proximity to the fire, although i don’t know why ppl didn’t just push that bouncer out of the way when they were stopped.
i dont go to shows any more because im a scared of them you know never what could happen i saw kiss 4 times,def leppard twice,bon jovi,sticks,testla,buck cherry and kid rock and i thought about seeing the four seasons this coming april but im not sure if i would want to now
Biechelle went on to own up to what he was responsible for and wrote letters to every family of the victims who died and the parole board got over 20 letters supporting his early release from prison, so I believe he is truly repented for what he's done, besides the dederians I would only give a modicum of respect had they went on to plead guilty earlier than before.
I cant believe he didn't at least have a Fire Extinguisher.. or 3 to be honest. Stupid. For that alone he should have done at least 5 years before parole.
OK sure. Naive mistake thinking pyro in a small building like that would be a good idea but I doubt he went in with an evil grin not caring about what could happen. This is why we have health and safety or fire marshals in place or managers who know every minute detail of their venue. I remember hiring a venue for a show I was touring and the manager gave me 5 pages of strict Dos and Don'ts and we had to tweak so many elements to the show to adhere to their protocol. So this guy made a mistake but like all of us, it was a brain fart that needed some intervention or common sense interjected. We all come up with stupid ideas from time to time but then we get someone turning them down or we find out it's not applicable or appropriate. The blame should be the owners and the tech staff who should have inspected absolutely everything. I've seen tech staff with binders of checks they have to tick off before even a simple task is attempted. This poor man just wanted to create a fun moment on only one song and now he has the burden of 100 horrifying deaths on his conscience forever. I think it's harder to forgive yourself for an accident like that than if you deliberately shot 100 people because at least an evil man can (potentially) have a cause for their evil deeds. This guy made a mistake that had awful ramifications. He will never forget this.
what makes me laugh is the fact the owners scrimped on the acoustic foam so it was cheap as shit but then allowed them to aford a great sound system. Are people's live really worth that sort of risq? We don't live in victorian times now! shame on the club owners and who ever allowed this to happen. I pray the victim's familys are able to get through this tragedy and maybe get some sort of closure. although I do understand this may not be possible. Mr Daniel Biechele from what i heard from this took what had happened and the part he played in this seriously. I pray the victims may rest in piece. I live in the UK but follow research on this devistating catastrophe and I am horrified and sad to say even in the UK this still happens. You wouldn't think it would happen with all the technology that's available today. All the safe materials that are available but apparently people's lives aren't worth it. I honestly could never begin to understand the trauma of survivers of this fire, it must be like one of the most awful nightmares but obviously you can't wake up and it will be over. My heart breaks for you people who survived; and my prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones to this tragedy. I send love to you all. God bless. xx
Adam 😒 yeah... it's so weird, how is it possible... not. Imagine if humans had four fingers per hand! Would we count with base ten then? I doubt it. Really, it's just a coincidence. Also imagine if no random thing was ever 100! Now _that_ would be a real miracle!
am i the only one who noticed that he appeared to be sobbing, yet not even one tear came out of either eye. so from behind where all the victims and families are he appears to be really breaking down, yet in front ??? i am not quite sure what is happening? i dont hink i could shake, sob, lip shivver and all without a single tear???? i KNOW he was the only one who admitted guilt, BUT what is this all about?maybe he is just a great manipulator, and thought that was his edge. to admit it, and that by doing that when the brothers were snide assholes he would be seen as the good guy and get a lite sentence??? never know. now i am wondering if a lot of people were duped by this fake cryer.
Cindy Sue I have to admit that I thought the same thing. I did not see any actual tears. However, I just can't question his sincerity. Maybe it was the video quality.
There is no reason possibly to accept responsibility for 100 manslaughter charges. NONE. I am sure he cried a lot prior. He does the right thing and gets criticized for that too.
How can you not stand there and listen to people burn to death knowing it was your mistake that did this to them and not cry? I would be on the floor with rivers coming out of my eyes. It's not like he ran into the tour bus waiting to go to the next gig like some people *cough Jack Russell* and refused to come out. No he was out there doing what he could to save people.
Two things: 1) We are watching a 480p TH-cam video of a home video camera / smartphone filming a television that is showing vhs footage of a simple non movie quality like court room footage. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd be sweating like hell and not a single sweatdrop would be seen in this footage. 2) He's actually fighting against crying. The way he sobs and talks is not a sign of him crying but a sign of him trying to NOT cry. His voice cracks and his face twitches because he is doing all he can to not break down crying. I'm sure if we'd be able to see the original footage (and not someone filming a television showing a vhs recording) we would see his watery eyes more clearly. Maybe even tears.
There was a broken man who was truly remorseful.
Yeah, what was striking was how he made an actual and heart felt apology. Obviously there are many guilty individuals who truly lack the ability to convey their feelings and will end up reading from a piece of paper that includes few of their own words. Thus leading to that fast paced monotone face down in the paper apology during these pre-sentencing statements. Can't fault them all for a lack of visible sincerity. But Mr. Biechele did the right and conveyed truly heart felt testimony here. That sincerity went a long way in his overall sentence and the suspended portion of that sentence. Also the reason why the victim's families almost unanimously worked towards reducing his already shortened incarcerated portion.
Gosh I hope he has found peace. When I’m in bed at night my mind ALWAYS wanders to mistakes I’ve made in my life and the people I’ve hurt, and it anguishesme to no end. I couldn’t imagine what this guy goes through when he lays in bed awake at night thinking of this tragedy
This statement brings me to tears. He is a good man who made a tragic mistake. He stood up and took responsibility while others lied and deflected blame. He wasn’t the one who knowingly filled the building with highly flammable foam. He wasn’t the one who sneakily upped the capacity to unacceptable numbers. He wasn’t the only one to light off pyro in that club (management had allowed it and likely gave him permission). He wasn’t the one who refused exit to patrons.
I hope one day he is able to forgive himself.
Perfectly said.
He wasn't the former rock star, willing to endanger people, so he could have big explosions like he did back in 1988, and allowed his manager and the club to take all the blame.
These are all extremely good points
My heart goes out to this anguished man, as well as to all the victims. May he find forgiveness.
The only one, the rest were cowards
"Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. "In the period following this tragedy, it was Mr. Biechele, alone, who stood up and admitted responsibility for his part in this horrible event... He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said.
Others pointed out that Biechele had sent handwritten letters to the families of each of the 100 victims and that he had a work release position in a local charity."
My heart breaks for him... yes, he was part of the 'perfect storm' of horrible decisions that night, but ultimately, it is the responsibility of the CLUB OWNERS to ensure the safety of their patrons.... this guy was a total scapegoat and yet he was a man about it.... and a truly remorseful one at that... I pray for peace for all who died, all their families and for Mr. Biechele.
He stood tall and accepted responsibility. I respect that. In fact, he is the only one who accepted any blame at all.
Yep, agreed.
I was a fan of Great White and I was on their tour bus many times in the late 1980's and the early 1990's. I was deeply affected by watching the Station Fire reports on the news day after day in 2003 while I was working at Macy's. I was their top Salesperson. I subsequently had a nervous breakdown and eventually after months on medical leave with the store I lost my job. I broke drown in tears watching Dan Biechele's pre-sentencing statement. This is truly heartbreaking for me to watch. My heart breaks for him and the families who lost loved ones in the Station Fire.
And my heart goes out to you . I had a mental breakdown after my wife left me and took my three girls from me . Lost a good government job . Now I am on disability . Watching this man's Anguish was very emotional for me also . Along with this poor man I hope you find peace and happiness in your life ! God Bless you !
The station nightclub fire is one of those events that just shocks the soul. I watched the footage a decade ago and I still cry when I am reminded of it.
@@waynestone6462I am so very sorry
the judge said this: "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself." whatching this you truely feel that. Daniel isn't a monster, he feel what any human would, but he's enough of a man to take the respincebilety for his actions.
no amount of jail time can compare with the guilt he has to carry with him for the rest of his life.
I feel sorry for this guy, he was a god damn tour manager, not a pyro technics expert. Great White are a bunch of tools for letting this guy fry for their stupid horseshit. If I were the singer I would feel so much guilt for letting this dude do time for my BS. You are a good man Dan, not your fault buddy....
The lead singer of Great White should have had a trial against him too.
He did not fry. Daniel Michael Biechele was not given the electric chair. Nor was he in prison for a major amount of time..
@@miked7212the singer isn’t liable either. He wasn’t in charge of the pyro. If anybody should be held accountable it should be the pyro technics experts. It was just a tragic mistake, they didn’t think it through , they didn’t think about the foam above the drum riser. It was reckless, but it wasn’t malicious or anything. It was just naivety
I just came from the memorial (actually in the parking lot of it right now) That had a quote of him saying that "I don't know if I could ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I don't expect anybody else to" and I said "Awww" outloud 😭😭💔💔😭😭
I did the exact same thing. I said"awww" when he started crying. It was very unsettling and tough to watch.
I started crying watching this. I was a frequent guest on Great Whites tour bus in the 80’s and 90’s. When this tragedy happened i was profoundly emotionally affected by it. I believe that Dan became the scapegoat for the incompetence and the negligence of MANY others in this case. My heart breaks for this poor man.
This whole thing is just heartbreaking. Bless his heart, Lord touch this man and heal his heart.
Jack Russell ran and hid in the tour bus listening to people who sent to see him play scream for their lives as they burned and all he could do was ask after the place burned down did everyone make it out? He didn't care. This guy was out there manning a fire hose trying to save lives. He is carrying a life sentence no matter what the sentence he received. He made a mistake that cost a hundred people their lives. His mistake affected hundreds of people. He is truly remorseful and I hope he finds a way to cope with this one day.
Jack Russells guitarist Ty died trying to save as many lives as he could. Jack probably watched him spring into action and said fuck that and ran. He didn't even tell people to leave when it started. He just looked at it and nonchalantly went "wow. That's not good" into the mic. Fucking idiot
the only one to stand and take responsibility...it took a real man to do that.
Yeh. I do think he has more than atoned for his part in what happened. He made some bad decisions but he shouldn't have been up there taking all the blame. I truly hope he is doing ok and is able to put this behind him.
That’s true remorse. The weight of what he has to endure I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
What about the bouncer that stopped people from leaving the building ?
Exactly, that one should have gotten a lot os jail time!!!
A1sausie IKR! He purposely turned people away!
Hes dead i hear.
Gimmix89 The one who died, Tracy King, actually helped a lot of people get out. The 2 who were identified as blocking the exit are still alive, Scott Viera is one of them, can’t remember the name of the other one. It’s in the book “Killer Show”
@@queenkinleypoo I've read Viera later bragged about not letting people out that door. It is in the book by survivor Gina Russo. What a sick human.
I feel just awful for this guy. I certainly feel worse for the families who lost their loved ones, but it just seems as though this guy truly feels so bad... and it's really hard to blame him insofar that he's not a pyrotechnic expert. That is negligent in some ways, however, the club bears more responsibility than him IMO as it is their property and their decision as to whether such events can be allowed. Just a horrible situation, and I hope everyone involved has found peace. It is very nice to know that the families did not blame this man.
That was brutal.😥
In addition to his statement, Biechele apparently told his lawyers that he wanted to plead guilty in order to spare the families any more torment and pain. Moreover, He endured each and every punishingly painful victim impact statement.
My heart goes out to him. I pray he found some peace.
I’d hate to have the burden of accidentally killing 100 people and wounding so many more. I believe him when he said he would do anything to give the people back their loved ones, and his remorse is genuine
He has to live with this forever.
Not an evil person. Just a person who made a mistake. As a human being who has made regrettable decisions that I will take to my grave, my respect and well wishes go out to him. RIP to the victims as well.
This guy is a scapegoat !! The Club Owners and Fire Inspector are the ONLY ones who belong in jail !! As for the Pyro Technics a simple no from the Owners would have prevented the whole thing as well as not chaining the Fire Exit doors closed !! Crooked local Government and City Departmental Officials are to blame ...
+Aaron Manderscheid
None of the doors were locked or chained. There were four exits: A lot of people were turned away from the door next to the stage. The front door was where the huge crush took place. The bar door was used by quite a few, but some reported that it was unable to open at first due to a vaccuum that the fire created. The door in the kitchen was known only to employees. And there was no door near the bathrooms- the one that had been there at some point in the past had been walled over.
I agree, he made a mistake letting them use the pyrotechnics but the club owners are the ones who didn't adhere to the fire regulations. And I heard some bouncers didn't even let people out of the back exits. Everyone is at fault here
The pyrotechnics were HIS idea, though. He's guilty also.
@@myoldvhstapesMaybe it's a good idea to have a safety announcement prior to a concert, similar to what they do on planes. If the show takes place in a closed venue, people should know the exits in advance prior to the show.
That went into effect immediately all over Rhode Island.
I believe he is sincere. He had no motive to cause such devastation. The fact that a large number of victims families support him is, in my opinion, a testament to his character. Dave Kane is a smart man, and he would know if he was being duped. Biechele made a huge mistake...and even if he up and refused to take part in the fireworks, someone else would have likely done it. We never seem to truly learn from our mistakes. Furthermore, I think Dan likely suffers from a form of PTSD called perpetrator trauma. In spite of what he has done, I hope he does not hurt himself.
This Man Is No Mustache Twirling Villain; Just A Guy Who did something Very Careless.
Michael Gallant Exactly. I do feel sorry for Biechele, he was careless but he wasn't the only factor in this disaster. Lots of things combined to create that terrible outcome, and lots of other people were jointly responsible. He had the decency and integrity to admit his part in the events, and to my knowledge he was the only one who pled guilty, while all others tried to play down or deny their liability. Personally I have a lot of respect for him, and I know a lot of station survivors and families do as well.
Very sad across the board. That was brutal...not gonna lie... I cried watching this. I can only imagine how traumatic this was for everyone. Losing one person is horrific, but losing 100, with hundreds injured, is unfathomable. I don't know if I could ever recover after hearing all of the victim impact statements that highlight the lives of so many beautiful people who were killed in such a terrifying manner.
I wanted to hate Dan Biechele for his role in this nightmare, but it was very apparent he was remorseful. When I heard that he had hand written 100 letters to the families if the victims, I was very moved. It is so hard to come to terms with the fact that so many people were devastated by a careless, senseless, and totally avoidable occurrence. I hope the letters were helpful to family members who chose to read them, and cathartic for Mr. Beichele, as everyone tries to heal from this horrible tragedy.
I wish I could like this a thousand times. It's easy to forget the world isn't so black and white.
There's a line of responsibility in this whole tragedy, and no matter what angle you look at it, the inspector is the one who gave the ultimate green light for this incident to take place. Him allowing the Derderian bros. to use the foam and let them get away with no sprinklers is ultimately the issue here. Of course the fireworks were an issue, and for that obviously the responsibility goes to the owners. But this guy was simply doing his job, and was simply given permission by someone else to do the pyrotechnics. I'm not saying a fire wouldn't have happened if there were sprinklers and no foam, but I truly believe most, if not all the people there on that tragic night would have been able to escape in time.
@@vexxevxevvex2622 A sprinkler system with a smoke dissipation system if designed right would definitely had saved lives that night. I work as a Fire Protection engineer and the systems they use today are only getting smarter and more advanced. Its a shame but Owners are ultimately responsible for there actions. They should have never used pyros in that building ceiling was far too low even if that insulation was not used. Horrible tragedy and I just hope the families can find some peace knowing that many laws and regulations have gotten stricter from this so families hopefully are not put in a careless situation like this again.
I also think this guy was used as the scapegoat. The possibility of a catastrophic fire at this club should have been detected by inspectors. I've never forgotten the horror I felt when I saw the news of this tragedy. God bless you all.
I have always wondered why none of the inspectors were ever charged with a crime related to this tragedy. It was just as much their job to protect club goers as it was the club owners’ responsibility. And it was almost as much the fault of the inspectors as it was that of the owners that the unsafe conditions which led to the fire still existed on the night of the fire. The only thing the owners were responsible for that the inspectors were *not* a party to was for permitting the pyrotechnics.
This is true remorse.
He was Not the only who make big mistakes.But I believe him.
The real criminals are the brothers Derderian.
Apparently they were selling the place the very next day! but yes, ultimately they are responsible, it was in there house, they were in charge, and they let this happen, they had a total disregard for safty.
Yes they are. They got off easy.
He felt terrible and wanted to pay any sentence for what he did.
Jack Russell should have seen a jail cell also! He got out and ran to his tour bus and watched the whole time, then ask, did everyone get out? I hope Great White contributed money for these victims families!!
Agreed. And the culpability of the town code inspectors should also have been thoroughly investigated.
I read that Jack wanted to donate money, but the majority of the survivors and families of the victims didn't want anything to do with it. They considered it blood money.
Heartbreaking. A terrible tragedy with no villain, just mistakes with unintended consequences.
This guy got much harder than he deserved. I don’t know who talked him into taking the fall but they were very persuasive.
If he's acting, give him a fuckin Oscar.
Exactly.
This tragedy happened 21 years ago yet it still feels like it was just a couple of months ago. I live in the UK and I don’t know if there was much publicity about this event, however I can only begin to try and imagine how terrified everybody must’ve been and how much pain was caused to those living, with the haunting events. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to have to lose loved ones and I pray for peace for all. This reminds me so much of the Grenfell Tower fire, because again blame is being deflected from person to person, company to company, it’s sickening and disgusting. The club owners should have gotten a much much harsher sentence as they are the ones who are supposed to keep the club in check so that it could have operated safely.
I was thinking of the UK this week with the anniversary of Hillsborough. Since the Station, I've always felt a kinship with that crowd crush. If memory serves, both tragedies had 96 dead for a while.
I can’t imagine being the cause of so many deaths!
i don't think he should have been sentenced. the club owners are the real culprits here
no fire extinguisher close at hand when igniting outdoor fireworks inside in a building that is older than he is?! could you be more careless! I feel sorry for him too, he obviously has a conscience, and he was the one who pulled the proverbial trigger, I do believe he never will forget, and the pain he will carry for the rest of his life is huge, his time served was fair in my opinion, I watched the owners finial statements and the brother who got four years didn't think any of it was his fault, and you could tell this didn't keep him up at night, while the other who was there and served no jail time was obviously still being tortured over it, that was the first time I've ever seen a judge make the right decision of punishment based on the actions of the defended, when in reality Jack Russell should've definitely seen the inside of a jail cell for his roll, he was the leader of the band, and the band set the fire, end of story.
+Tony Parker
I knew some people who were customers of Michael Derderian at his insurance place. It was the time period after the fire but before he went to jail. They said he was suicidal.
+My Old VHS Tapes I watched the video of the fire....I shouldn't have. It's been haunting me, I can only imagine what it must be like for those that were there, it's got to torture your mind beyond belief.
So true. I've seen some horrific shit throughout my life, but the speed with which that fire engulfed that building was very disturbing.
Imagine how many mistakes we all make. Driving or cooking or building but our asses get saved by a responsible person observing or monitoring etc.
This guy made a mistake but the venue let it happen. NO sprinkers. Flammable foam everywhere. 2 exits barricaded off. A bouncer who blocked people. And they were at over capacity.
The venue staff are the real villains here.
This guy took the fall.
I don’t think any exits were barricade off. There were 4 exits, one of which was in the kitchen, so most ppl weren’t aware of it. The stage exit was only briefly available due to being in close proximity to the fire, although i don’t know why ppl didn’t just push that bouncer out of the way when they were stopped.
i dont go to shows any more because im a scared of them you know never what could happen i saw kiss 4 times,def leppard twice,bon jovi,sticks,testla,buck cherry and kid rock and i thought about seeing the four seasons this coming april but im not sure if i would want to now
It should be the fire inspectors responsibility i think
Agree 100%
Biechelle went on to own up to what he was responsible for and wrote letters to every family of the victims who died and the parole board got over 20 letters supporting his early release from prison, so I believe he is truly repented for what he's done, besides the dederians I would only give a modicum of respect had they went on to plead guilty earlier than before.
I cant believe he didn't at least have a Fire Extinguisher.. or 3 to be honest. Stupid. For that alone he should have done at least 5 years before parole.
Dale PXP - as much as I feel badly for Dan Biechele, I agree 100%with you.
It seems to me that he is truly sorry. The thing that confuses me is that i don't see any tears coming from his eyes.
The only one who showed true remorse. Jack Russell was the boss of this man and company....he should have been charged too along with others .
OK sure. Naive mistake thinking pyro in a small building like that would be a good idea but I doubt he went in with an evil grin not caring about what could happen.
This is why we have health and safety or fire marshals in place or managers who know every minute detail of their venue.
I remember hiring a venue for a show I was touring and the manager gave me 5 pages of strict Dos and Don'ts and we had to tweak so many elements to the show to adhere to their protocol.
So this guy made a mistake but like all of us, it was a brain fart that needed some intervention or common sense interjected.
We all come up with stupid ideas from time to time but then we get someone turning them down or we find out it's not applicable or appropriate.
The blame should be the owners and the tech staff who should have inspected absolutely everything.
I've seen tech staff with binders of checks they have to tick off before even a simple task is attempted.
This poor man just wanted to create a fun moment on only one song and now he has the burden of 100 horrifying deaths on his conscience forever.
I think it's harder to forgive yourself for an accident like that than if you deliberately shot 100 people because at least an evil man can (potentially) have a cause for their evil deeds. This guy made a mistake that had awful ramifications.
He will never forget this.
A damn fool,but an honest fool. Because he expressed Contrition for what he did,Dan Biechele received a light sentence.
There is nothing that could be done to him by the courts that could even begin to approach what he's doing to himself on the inside.
He was sentenced to live. Live every day with the terrible memory of what happened that night.
But no tears though? Not even one actual tear fell.
????
You can’t see it on the camera it’s not HD. Maybe there was tears
Or he could have an underlying condition where u cant produce any tears, look it up
what makes me laugh is the fact the owners scrimped on the acoustic foam so it was cheap as shit but then allowed them to aford a great sound system. Are people's live really worth that sort of risq? We don't live in victorian times now! shame on the club owners and who ever allowed this to happen. I pray the victim's familys are able to get through this tragedy and maybe get some sort of closure. although I do understand this may not be possible. Mr Daniel Biechele from what i heard from this took what had happened and the part he played in this seriously. I pray the victims may rest in piece. I live in the UK but follow research on this devistating catastrophe and I am horrified and sad to say even in the UK this still happens. You wouldn't think it would happen with all the technology that's available today. All the safe materials that are available but apparently people's lives aren't worth it. I honestly could never begin to understand the trauma of survivers of this fire, it must be like one of the most awful nightmares but obviously you can't wake up and it will be over. My heart breaks for you people who survived; and my prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones to this tragedy. I send love to you all. God bless. xx
Anyone else find it strange exactly EXACTLY 100 people died? Not 101 not 99. 100.
Adam 😒 yeah... it's so weird, how is it possible... not. Imagine if humans had four fingers per hand! Would we count with base ten then? I doubt it. Really, it's just a coincidence. Also imagine if no random thing was ever 100! Now _that_ would be a real miracle!
@illuminate4622😆
I dont see any tears though
That judge was a fool!
am i the only one who noticed that he appeared to be sobbing, yet not even one tear came out of either eye. so from behind where all the victims and families are he appears to be really breaking down, yet in front ??? i am not quite sure what is happening? i dont hink i could shake, sob, lip shivver and all without a single tear???? i KNOW he was the only one who admitted guilt, BUT what is this all about?maybe he is just a great manipulator, and thought that was his edge. to admit it, and that by doing that when the brothers were snide assholes he would be seen as the good guy and get a lite sentence??? never know. now i am wondering if a lot of people were duped by this fake cryer.
Cindy Sue I have to admit that I thought the same thing. I did not see any actual tears. However, I just can't question his sincerity. Maybe it was the video quality.
There is no reason possibly to accept responsibility for 100 manslaughter charges. NONE. I am sure he cried a lot prior. He does the right thing and gets criticized for that too.
How can you not stand there and listen to people burn to death knowing it was your mistake that did this to them and not cry? I would be on the floor with rivers coming out of my eyes. It's not like he ran into the tour bus waiting to go to the next gig like some people *cough Jack Russell* and refused to come out. No he was out there doing what he could to save people.
People. I'm sure that poor man was simply out of tears at that point.
Two things: 1) We are watching a 480p TH-cam video of a home video camera / smartphone filming a television that is showing vhs footage of a simple non movie quality like court room footage. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd be sweating like hell and not a single sweatdrop would be seen in this footage. 2) He's actually fighting against crying. The way he sobs and talks is not a sign of him crying but a sign of him trying to NOT cry. His voice cracks and his face twitches because he is doing all he can to not break down crying.
I'm sure if we'd be able to see the original footage (and not someone filming a television showing a vhs recording) we would see his watery eyes more clearly. Maybe even tears.