Crews had cleared apartment fire twice before finding 2 dead inside, manager says
By Ubah Ali
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Nearly two days after an apartment fire tore through a downtown Minneapolis building, two people were found dead inside.
It wasn’t until Thursday morning when David Hollmon, the property manager, realized he hadn’t seen one of his tenants since the fire.
“I went to the fire department and told them, ‘Hey I think one of my tenants is still in there.'” Hollmon said.
He said fire officials told him that was impossible and they swept through the building twice.
But fire crews searched inside the charred building Thursday afternoon and discovered an elderly man in a fourth-floor apartment under piles of the collapsed roof.
“Mr. Kerry was a good dude, a jokester. Real cool, laid-back type of old man,” Hollmon said.
Hours later, firefighters found another body. Hollmon believes it was Kerry’s girlfriend.
“Let’s talk about these people that didn’t make it and how is it they didn’t make it when the (fire official) said they swept the apartment twice,” Hollmon said.
Both victims have not been identified as of Thursday night.
On Tuesday night, the fire department said they thought everyone got out safe.
“All residents were stated to be accounted, we didn’t hear anyone say that they were missing anyone,” said Assistant Fire Chief Melanie Rucker on Tuesday.
WCCO called again Thursday to ask how firefighters missed two people but haven’t heard back.
The search will continue Friday this time with cadaver dogs.
Arson investigators continue their search for how this fire started.
“Whoever did this, if somebody did this intentionally, purposefully, they need to pay,” Hollmon said.
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