Brenda Cropper Obituary, Death; – A tenth victim has succumbed to injuries sustained in the fire that devastated a Massachusetts assisted-living facility earlier this week, officials reported on Thursday.
Brenda Cropper, aged 66, passed away late Wednesday after being in critical condition since the fire at the Gabriel House on Sunday, as announced by Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
The district attorney’s office has not disclosed further details regarding Cropper or the fire that broke out in Fall River, a working-class city in southern Massachusetts.
Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon stated that the fire originated in a room on the second floor on the east side of the Gabriel House building, but the specific cause and origin are still under investigation. Nevertheless, the district attorney’s office has asserted that the cause “does not appear to be suspicious.”
The fire and dense smoke trapped residents inside, with some individuals reportedly hanging from windows and calling for assistance. At least 30 individuals sustained injuries, and nine fatalities were initially reported, all of whom were over the age of 60. The fire chief indicated on Wednesday that another individual was also in critical condition.
The deceased have been identified as Joseph Wilansky, 77, Rui Albernaz, 64, Ronald Codega, 61, Margaret Duddy, 69, Robert King, 78, Kim Mackin, 71, Richard Rochon, 78, and Eleanor Willett, 86. The identity of a 70-year-old woman remains undisclosed.
Approximately 50 firefighters responded to the incident, including 30 who were off-duty. Police assisted in breaking down doors and carried around a dozen residents to safety. Five injured firefighters were discharged from the hospital on Monday.
Union representatives claim that the city did not deploy enough firefighters to rescue all residents trapped in the fire— a claim that city officials have since attempted to address by pledging to increase firefighter staffing on each shift, initially through overtime and eventually by hiring additional personnel.
In the meantime, the facility’s owner had been repeatedly cited by state regulators.
