In a somber gathering, dozens of people in Kenosha came together to remember the lives of three young siblings—Rylee, Connor, and Alena Kannin—who perished in a fire on Thanksgiving night. The vigil, held outside the site of the tragedy, featured a growing array of stuffed animals, flowers, and candles. "They were taken too soon from us, and this was not supposed to happen to anybody," Chelsea Meeks told TMJ4, having organized the emotional event.
The investigation into the cause of the blaze by the Kenosha police and fire departments is continuing, with a criminal investigative lens being applied, though no criminal activity has been detected thus far. Neighbors and the wider community are still grappling with the absence of the three children, described as inseparable, often referred to as the "three amigos" by Gregory Rawls. "What really happened, how did it happen, how did it start, what happened after that, that's the main thing that's going through my head," Rawls said to TMJ4.
Amid the grief, the children's mother, Jourdan Feasby, expressed complex emotions over the loss of her children. "It does bring me peace that they are all together that way they are not alone, but it is also hard in a selfish way for myself because I didn't want to get left behind," Feasby revealed in a statement to WISN 12 News. A fundraising effort to cover the funeral expenses has exceeded its goals, and any extra funds will be donated to aid other parents facing similar heartbreaking situations.
At the vigil, children and adults alike shared cherished memories of Rylee, Connor, and Alena, their impact on the community apparent. Third-grader Sophia Koepplin, who attended the vigil, will remember the fun times playing with her friends. "They were friendly and really nice... I really didn’t want her to die." As the community comes together, support continues to pour in. "The best thing anybody could do at a time like this is just show your support and show them that you care and that, you know, there’s more love out there than just the ones that are in their home," Meeks stated to Spectrum News 1.
