Infant killed, 5 other children injured in fire while their moms were at nightclub: Reports

Authorities in Tennessee are investigating after an apartment fire killed an 8-month-old girl and injured five other children as their mothers were out at a nightclub, according to reports.

The Nashville Tennessean reports that Jream Jenkins died, and her 23-month-old brother and four other children—ages 6, 4, 2, and 1—were found injured at the Antioch apartment at 2 a.m. The deceased girl’s brother was reportedly listed in critical condition while the other four children were also hospitalized.

Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron said a bystander called 911 after seeing the blaze and spotting a 6-year-old running out of the apartment screaming. WTVF reported that the fire occurred at the apartment where Jenkins and her brother lived. The other four children reportedly live in Linden.

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According to the news station, firefighters rescued a child from a third-floor balcony while Jenkins was pronounced dead at the scene. An arson investigator reportedly confirmed that the fire started in a corner where a candle was burning.

While police said the children’s mothers, ages 23 and 25, were at a nightclub when the blaze occurred, the mothers reportedly claimed they had arranged for a babysitter to stay with the children. The Tennessean reported that police said the babysitter wasn’t at the scene and that they have not been able to corroborate the women’s claims.

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A woman claiming to be Jenkins’ mother has taken to Facebook in light of Jenkins’ death, contradicting many claims made by police and the media regarding Sunday’s incident. In a since-deleted video, she claimed people running a GoFundMe for Jenkins don’t represent her family and that she was the one to call the ambulance that night, according to the Tennessean.

“Y’all Stop Using My F**king Child For Clout I Made A Mistake & I’m The Only One Gotta Deal w/ It We Know What Happen My Baby Is In Heaven At Peace She Was Loved & Taken GREAT CARE OF!” she wrote in one post.

WTVF reported that most of the damage from the fire was contained to the one unit but roughly a dozen units suffered water or smoke damage.

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[Featured image: Jream Jenkins/GoFundMe]