SUICIDE BY HELIUM GAS FROM TANKS? HAZMAT INCIDENT OAK PARK AVE AND 32ND ST BERWYN

THU APR 16 2015 ~11:18 AM
BERWYN FIRE DEPARTMENT
SUICIDE WITH RIGGED TANKS/HAZMAT INCIDENT
OAK PARK AVE AND 32ND ST BERWYN, IL

HAZMAT INCIDENT.

MAN FOUND DEAD ABOUT 10:15 AM IN 4TH FLOOR CONDO UNIT NEAR MACNEAL HOSPITAL IN BERWYN.

POLICE ON WELL-BEING CHECK FOUND A MAN'S BODY AND SEVERAL UNKNOWN TANKS NEAR THE BODY.

AS A PRECAUTION, IN CASE THE TANKS WERE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES OR A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION (ESPECIALLY CHEMICAL GAS-RELATED) RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS ON THE FIRST FLOOR WERE EVACUATED.

COOK COUNTY BOMB SQUAD WAS NOTIFIED AND CLEARED/SECURED THE SCENE.

INVESTIGATORS MOVED IN AND INITIALLY BELIEVE THE INCIDENT INVOLVES THE ACT OF SUICIDE BY INHALATION OF HELIUM GAS.

VICTIM IDENTIFIED AS DR JON AZKUE, A RESIDENT AT MACNEAL HOSPITAL IN BERWYN.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.


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WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION DEFINED ...
The acronym CBRNE (pronounced SEA-BURN- EE), meaning Chemical-Biological-Radiological- Nuclear-Explosive, has replaced the passé acronyms NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) and ABC (Atomic, Biological, Chemical), employed to describe agents used by some party to intentionally inflict harm on another party. The official definition from 18 U.S.C. Section 2332a is: Any explosive, incendiary, poison gas, bomb, grenade, or rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces [113 g], missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce [7 g], or mine or device similar to the above. (2) Poison gas. (3) Any weapon involving a disease organism. (4) Any weapon that is designed to release radiation at a level dangerous to human life.

SEE ALSO ...
Capt. G. Shane Hendricks and Dr. Margot J. Hall The History and Science of CBRNE Agents, Part I  [PDF]