Coroner confirms names of five East St. Louis children who died in apartment fire
This story was updated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7 to correct two of the victims’ names.
The names of the five children who died from injuries suffered in an apartment fire on Friday in East St. Louis have been confirmed by the St. Clair County coroner.
St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. confirmed the following victims:
▪ Deontae Davis Jr., 9
▪ Neveah Dunigan and Heaven Dunigan, 8-year-old twins
▪ Jabari Johnson, 4
▪ Loy-el Dunigan, 2
The five children were home alone at the time of the fire on the second floor of the two-story, brick building at 560 N. 29th St., which is near State Street, Assistant Fire Chief George McClellan said.
The mother of the children had briefly left to pick up her boyfriend from work, McClellan said. She reported the fire about 3:45 a.m. when she and her boyfriend were attempting to rescue her children.
Two of the children were found by firefighters in the living room under a pile of burned debris and three were found in the kitchen area.
Four of them died on scene and one died at a local hospital.
Investigators from the Illinois State Fire Marshal responded to determine the cause of the fire.
The mother of the children was not injured and all other residents of the building escaped.
McClellan said the deaths of the five children was upsetting for him and the first-responders.
“I see bodies all the time, but when it’s kids, kids are different,” said McClellan, who also is a nurse. “You do whatever you can to try to save them.”
School district assistance
Three of the five children were students in East St. Louis School District 189, the district confirmed Friday.
The district’s crisis team went on the scene and is partnering with the Red Cross and Community Life Line to provide ongoing support services.
Counseling and other support services will be available for classmates when students go back to school Aug. 17. If families need support more urgently, the district said they may call the Family and Community Engagement Center at 618-646-3333.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 6:33 PM.
