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Boy becomes third death after the Shanks Lane fire

Pastor Tim Hartlage, a Chaplin who has stayed with the family at the hospital Friday, told WHAS11 News the process has started to take the boy off of life support.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Kam Harris, 11, was declared deceased by the Coroner's Office on December 8.

According to a report, his cause of death was from injuries sustained during the apartment fire that already killed his mother and sister.


“He's still trying to hold on and be here with us for as long as he can,” said his grandmother, Carla Harris.

Pastor Tim Hartlage, a chaplain who has stayed with the family at the hospital Friday, told WHAS11 News the process has started to take the boy off of life support.

“This is such a tragic loss for me, it's devastating,” said his other grandmother, Gwen Brown.

Brown already lost her daughter, Archimeda Riley and her other grandchild, Savannah Cooper after an apartment on Shanks Lane was set on fire Tuesday night.

“I don't know how I'm going to get through this. I don't know what I'm going to do.”Investigators believe the fire was started intentionally. Danesha Peden, 26, has been arrested for arson and two counts of murder. The arrest report said she admitted to pouring gas and setting the fire at the apartment building.

“This girl has destroyed our family, and other families,” said Harris.

Harris lived in the apartment above Archimeda and her kids and managed to get out. She said Peden needs to pay for all she’s taken away.

“I just can't express how happy I am that she is behind bars and I want her to suffer the way we suffer,” Harris said.

Investigators have not released a possible motive for the fire, but neighbors told WHAS11 News she was fighting with another tenant.

Peden is being held on a $500,000 bond.

The family has created a GoFundMe account. You can make a donation at any Republic bank in honor of Archimeda “Archie” Riley. You can also donate by mail: Send to Southwest Family Ministries, Inc P.O. Box 16154 Louisville Kentucky 40256 for Archimeda Riley.

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