About 500 people were hospitalized after terrorists unleashed an unknown gas at Cajun Field early this morning, but fortunately, the whole incident was just a simulated training exercise for the Lafayette Fire Department and the Louisiana National Guard's 62nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. Maj. Cameron Magee, commander of the 62nd, says every 18 months his team undergoes a similar terrorist strike exercise, which he adds is an "external evaluation" and certification process put on by U.S. Army North.
"The scenario is that people inside the stadium have been exposed to an unknown chemical, and our job is to identify what that unknown is," says Magee. "All we know is there's a bunch of sick people. Five hundred have already been hospitalized."
Magee says the simulation brings his team together with the local fire department, because, he notes, they otherwise would not have access to the specialized military equipment needed in the event of a terrorist strike.
Today's simulation will continue until 6 p.m., so in the meantime, Magee says residents who spot men walking around Cajun Field in HazMat suits need not worry.