QUINCY, Ill. (AP) — A 27-year-old man has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder in connection with an early morning fire that killed five children, police said Sunday.
Zachary Q. Meeks was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated arson and one count of arson for the fire that also injured four other people, including a fire fighter, police said.
Authorities said Meeks, 27, was arrested after being questioned about the fire in this community along the Mississippi River that began around 3 a.m.
Rescuers arrived to find the house engulfed in flames and later discovered the five bodies inside, authorities said.
"When they arrived, the house was pretty heavily involved in flames," said Keith Frank, an assistant fire chief.
The four boys and one girl — aged 8 months, 3, 5, 9 and 10 years old — were likely family members, said
Adams County coroner Gary Hamilton. Their bodies were found on the house's second story, he said.
Police said Meeks was being held in the Adams County Jail and authorities did not release a motive.
Hamilton declined to release preliminary causes of death and said autopsies could be conducted Sunday or Monday.
Two people were taken to nearby Blessing Hospital while a third victim was airlifted to a Springfield hospital in critical condition, said Quincy Police Sgt. Doug Schlueter.
Blessing spokeswoman Chris Tysinger said those patients were treated and released.
A firefighter, who suffered burns to his face, was recovering from minor injuries, Frank said.
The fire seemed to spread quickly and flames could be seen shooting through the house's windows, neighbors said. Firefighters said they could see smoke from at least a quarter-mile away.
State and local fire authorities were investigating what caused the fire.
Quincy, which sits along the Mississippi River, is about 90 miles west of Springfield.
The first quote does back up the lead because it lets us know just how bad the fire was when the firefighters arrived. The lead lets us know that a man was charged with the crime that killed children in the fire, so I believe it backs up the lead. The quote definitely states facts. The verb of attribution is 'said' and I would have used said, just as the Associated Press journalist did. The source is Keith Frank, who is an assistant fire chief where the crime occured. I would say the chief would have usually been the best source , or perhaps somebody who was there at the time of the fire. Frank is a good source because he lets us know what the fire was like when they arrived, but he used 'they' which most likely meant that he was not there.
