Lawsuits Filed in Wrigleyville Fire Tragedy

The families of the four young people killed on Saturday morning in the Wrigleyville fire tragedy filed wrongful death lawsuits today. The four people died in the fire while sleeping in the third floor apartment located at 3553 N. Fremont on Saturday, March 10, 2007.

Corboy & Demetrio filed the lawsuits in the Circuit Court of Cook County against Roscoe Management Corp., now known as J & M Magic Mist of Illinois, Inc., and Mary Geoghegan. The lawsuits allege that the managers and owner of the building failed to maintain functioning locking systems at the entrance doors allowing the person starting the fire unimpeded entrance to the second floor. Immediately after filing the lawsuits, Philip Harnett Corboy, Jr., and Robert J. Bingle sought and received a Protective Order from Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Budzinski. The Protective Order provided that the representatives of the families have the right to inspect the building and conduct their own independent investigation.

This tragedy began on Saturday morning in the building located at the corner of Fremont and Addison on Chicago’s north side, in the shadow of Wrigley Field. The fire was started early Saturday morning on the building’s second floor and worked itself up to the third floor where all of the decedents were staying.

The four individuals killed this weekend are Jason Bowers, 23, who worked at First American Bank in Elk Grove Village; Jennifer Carlson, 24, who had almost completed training as a Certified Clinical Massage Therapist; Jared Pilgreen, 21, who worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant in Durand, Illinois; and Joseph Schultz, 23, a roofer for S. H. Chistiansen Roofing Co.