MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nutbush neighbors are saddened over the deaths of two children, a girl and a boy, and a male adult in an early morning house fire.
Calls to the Memphis Police Department and Memphis Department were made around 6:30 am on Sunday after smoke was seen coming from the house. The deadly incident happened on the 3500 block of Bayliss.
The girl and man were pronounced dead at the scene and the boy was taken to Le Bonheur in critical condition before being pronounced dead at the hospital. Meagan Pinner, a member of the Nutbush Neighborhood Watch Association, said it broke her heart when she heard the news.
"Very heartbreaking," Pinner said.
Homicide and fire investigators spent much of the daylight looking for answers as to how the fire started and what exactly happened to the victims. MFD could not confirm if this was arson and said they are "still investigating the cause and origin of the fire."
Pinner hopes for better days for her neighborhood.
"That the crime rate goes down and stuff that happens over here," Pinner said.
The identities of the victims have not been released, but Pinner said any tragic deaths around the holidays are always difficult. She believes the victims could also have been related.
"It’s just very heartbreaking here right around the holidays," Pinner said.
MPD said this is an ongoing investigation.
Pinner said neighbors need to check in with one another to hopefully prevent something like this from happening again.
"Just reaching out to neighbors and call the police when you hear and see something," Pinner said.