ATF Releases New Video Of Person Of Interest In Fatal South Stricker Street Fire
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Baltimore field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Friday released new video footage of a person of interest in the vacant rowhome fire that killed three firefighters last month.
The agency previously released two images of the person of interest taken from surveillance footage. According to a new release, investigators were only able to obtain the full video this week.
"ATF Special Agents and our partners continue to follow up on tips we have received from the public, as well as leads developed throughout the investigation," the agency said in a news release.
ATF continues to seek the identity of a person of interest who was near the scene of S. Stricker St fatal fire the evening before it occurred.
— ATF Baltimore (@ATFBaltimore) February 18, 2022
$100,000 combined reward from ATF @MayorBMScott @GovLarryHogan @BaltCoExec @BCFDL734 @officers964 for info that leads to ID. 888-ATF-TIPS pic.twitter.com/Y7c9PBSPY0
WJZ showed the video to residents in the area, who said it's hard to see who it is.
"That's a guy just kinda walking around people walk around all the time, I don't know that I could see a person and be like 'that's that guy,'" said Brendan, who lives in the West Baltimore neighborhood.
"It's very typical what we see on a cold night," said Anne Adams-Kennedy, who is part of the neighborhood association. "I mean there's no way to make an identification. Everybody was checking their cameras just to see if there was anything we could see to help the investigation."
Following contributions from Gov. Larry Hogan, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. and two fire unions, the reward for information on the person of interest is at $100,000.
Anyone with information is asked to call 888-ATF-TIPS or email ATFtips@atf.gov.
The ATF Baltimore Field Division also said Friday its on-scene investigation of the building collapse and fire in the 200 block of S. Stricker Street has concluded, and agents are still working to determine the cause of the blaze.
As WJZ reported, the vacant home has been demolished. Baltimore City officials said the property had $50,000 in liens, interest and taxes, and was included in the 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 tax sales. The city estimates there are 15,000 vacant buildings.
"There are a lot of vacant homes and we in the neighborhood are trying to mitigate that," Adams-Kennedy said. "We'll walk the neighborhoods, find out who the vacant are, where they are, and try to do something about it. But it's an uphill battle with the city, with the owners, and it's just impossible."
On the morning of Jan. 24, fire crews were called to the scene of a two-alarm fire at a rowhouse on S. Stricker Street. A partial building collapse trapped six firefighters inside
Three firefighters — Lt. Paul Butrim, firefighter/paramedic Kelsey Sadler, and EMT/firefighter Kenny Lacayo — were killed in the collapse.
John McMaster was critically injured, but he was well enough to be released from Shock Trauma three days after the incident.
Two others were pulled from the collapse with minor injuries.