“Shaun was a joy to have in the classroom. He always had a smile and a hug (especially after the first several days of beginning school),” said Vivianne Hunt, Shaun Jr.’s preschool teacher at Indian Riffle Elementary. “Shaun and his family were involved with our classroom and school activities. Shaun, Jacob and Alicia will be deeply missed by everyone here.”
Investigators were still trying to figure out Friday what caused the state’s second most deadliest fire of the year at 1963 Craig Dr.
“It is an undetermined fire. We do know from witness statements that there were no working smoke detectors in the home,” said Michael Duchesne, public information officer for the Division of the State Fire Marshal.
The whole family lived in the home that Carroll owned the Craig Drive address. The house was completely destroyed after the fire broke out early Thursday.
“This was the second deadliest fire in Ohio this year, surpassed only by a fire in Tiffin where there were six fatalities,” Duchesne said.
Mobley Sr., who was taken to a local hospital to be treated, escaped with his two of his children. Their conditions were unknown late Friday afternoon.
A Kettering police officer and two firefighters at the fire scene were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and later released, according to Kettering Fire Battalion Chief Jon Durrenberg.
As investigators try to piece together what happened, the community has rallied together to help Mobley Sr. and his two daughters. One of the girls is a third grader at Indian Riffle Elementary School and the other is a eighth grader at Kettering Middle School.
On Friday, staff from the two schools started taking up collections to help with the family’s immediate needs, according to Kari Basson, spokeswoman for the Kettering City Schools District. “Our buildings are also coordinating fund drives at their schools, and these funds will be funneled through the Kettering Middle School PTA, which will administer a check to the family,” she said.
A donation drive will be starting at 1 p.m. on Dec. 21 in the gymnasium at Indian Riffle Elementary School, 3090 Glengarry Dr. Details about the items being collected can be found on the district’s Facebook page.
A fund collecting money has also been set up through Fifth Third Bank. It is called the “Mobley Family Fund,” and donations can be made at any branch location.
The public can also donate to the family by visiting www.gofundme.com. Search for Mobley Family Fund. As of 5 p.m. Friday, the site had raised approximately $6,300.
Crisis management teams were dispatched to the schools to help students deal with the tragic news, according to Basson.
“Our school psychologists collaborated on a letter to send to parents that addresses how to speak to kids about the situation,” Basson said.
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