Latorya loved to dance

A grieving brother and uncle of Latorya McGraw told the Chicago Defender late Tuesday they were not surprised to hear she was at the E2 nightclub when chaos broke out early Monday morning.

After all, they said, "Latorya loved to dance."

Instead of going about their normal Tuesday activities, LilRonald Bright and Harry McGraw stood in front of a makeshift memorial outside the nightclub clutching an 8X10 color photo of the girl they described as "the life of every party."

Now, her brother and uncle have declared a crusade against establishments who skirt the law in favor of the almighty dollar.

"We're going to set up a Latorya McGraw Foundation to address the ignorance of the law and let these club owners know they'll be held accountable," said McGraw, her uncle. "Hopefully, with this foundation, a tragedy like this will never happen again."

"We have to save a lot of lives after this," her brother, Bright, chimed in.

Authorities repeated on Tuesday what they told reporters on Monday, just hours after 21 young adults lost their lives during a stampede at the nightclub: "The club was operating illegally."

However, Andre Grant, an attorney representing the owners of E2, said he had worked out an agreement with the city to keep the club open with restrictions denying use of the special VIP section located above the main dance floor.

Grant said E2 owners and its management are not to blame for what happened. "It occurred because of a group of people under a panic situation," he said. "The tragedy occurred because all of the people went in one direction."

Grant also denied that E2 security sprayed mace or pepper spray, which started the avalanche of people headed for the exits. "It is Epitome Chicago's understanding from its staff and other witnesses that after pepper spray and or mace was dispensed, some patrons mistakenly believed that poisonous gas had been dispensed and a patron or patrons shouted `terrorist attack' and/or `poisonous gas,' which further incited panic among the partygoers.

"The pepper spray and/or mace was not used by Epitome Chicago's security personnel or other Epitome Chicago staff," Grant said. "The pepper spray and/or mace that was dispensed was used by private security personnel hired by the promoter, Envy Entertainment."

Bright said his sister was the life of every party she attended and she just loved to dance.

"She'd say, `I didn't come here to sit down,'" speaking of when a party would start out rather dull, with everyone just sitting around.

"Everywhere she went, nobody would be dancing until she got on the dance floor."

Echoing his nephew, McGraw said "She was a vibrant person. Always the life of the party. She was always on the dance floor," he concluded.

The two said Latorya was raised in Wentworth Gardens and attended Robert S. Abbott Elementary School and Wendell Phillips High School where she earned her diploma in 1996. She also worked at her family's business, a general merchandise store on East 43rd Street.

Latorya is survived by a 6-year-old daughter, Shapara Hicks; her mother, Rochelle McGraw; three sisters, Alicia McGraw, Evyette Welch and T.T. McGraw; two brothers, LilDavid McGraw, Jr. III and Reginald Bright. She was preceded in death by another brother, Reginald Bright (1991).

Funeral services for McGraw will be held Monday night at the First Corinthian Baptist Church, 7500 South Halsted Street beginning at 7 p.m.

Photograph (LilRonald Bright holds picture of his sister LaTorya McGraw)