PHILADELPHIA (MyFoxPhilly) - A spokeswoman for Philadelphia's district attorney confirmed Tuesday that the case of a Kensington abandoned warehouse fire that killed two firefighters is being submitted to an investigating grandy jury.
FOX 29 reported exclusively on Monday night that D.A. Seth Williams' office would use this approach to probe the five-alarm fire that took the lives of Philadelphia Fire Department Lt. Robert Neary and Firefighter Dan Sweeney on April 9.
In an email issued Tuesday morning, the D.A.'s office said, "This will be the only public statement on this case now that a Grand Jury Investigation is underway, legally the District Attorney's Office can not comment any further."
Sources told FOX 29 News on Monday that the grand jury investigation would be into what went wrong and if anyone is to blame.
Typically, grand jury investigations aren't announced. But our sources said that, given the nature of this case, it's important to let the public know what's going on.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The warehouse's owners had been cited several times for code violations, city officials have stated.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia residents showed their support Monday night for the families of the firefighters who lost their lives in that five-alarm fire last week.
The families were presented with checks from Smoke Eaters Pub. The bar held a benefit Friday night and raised more than $7,000.
But a thief who took items donated to the fundraiser is still on the loose. The incident has left firefighters' blood boiling.
Anyone who recognizes the man shown in surveillance video is asked to contact police.
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