A vigil was held at an Oakland Church last week for four of the six students who were killed when the balcony they were on collapsed.
The victims, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster, Lorcan Miller and Eimear Walsh, all 21-year-olds from Ireland, were honored at the St. Columba Catholic Church. Fellow students, family members and other Irish students who knew the victims came to pay their respects at the vigil.
The tragedy also claimed the lives of two other students, Ashley Donohoe, 22 of Rohnert Park, California, and 21-year-old Olivia Burke of Ireland. A separate funeral will be held for them in the Bay Area on Saturday.
On June 16 students, mainly from Ireland, were celebrating the 21st birthday of one of the students when the 4th floor balcony at the Library Gardens Apartments suddenly collapsed. Six people were killed in the accident and an additional 8 other people were injured.
Investigators say that the balcony suffered from dry rot, most likely caused by moisture. The dilapidated state of the balcony’s structure caused it to be separated from the exterior wall of the building and rotate 90 degrees downward at the time of its collapse, causing 6 fatalities and other serious injuries. Additionally, the balcony directly below the collapsed balcony also appeared to have a dangerous amount of dry rot as well.
A criminal investigation has been ordered by prosecutors which could lead to possible involuntary manslaughter charges being filed.
If your child or loved one, or even yourself has been injured or tragically killed in any type of accident, it is important to have an attorney experienced in personal injury and accident law by your side.
Nothing in the world can ever take away the pain of losing a loved one in an accident. At Christmas Injury Lawyers, we will be there for you and will lend our complete support, especially when dealing with the tragedy of an accident that has claimed a life of a loved one.
