IN THE DISTRICT, AN 11-YEAR-OLD BOY DIED YESTERDAY OF INJURIES HE RECEIVED IN A HOUSE FIRE ON NEW YEAR'S DAY IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON.THE BOY, OSCAR WILSON III, DIED ABOUT 1:30 PM AT CHILDREN'S NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, BRINGING THE INCIDENT'S DEATH TOLL TO SIX. TWO OTHER CHILDREN KILLED IN THE BLAZE WERE WILSON'S 10-YEAR-OLD COUSIN, JOSEPH WILSON, AND KANIYA GANT, 4. KANIYA'S PARENTS, KEITH NELSON, 23, AND TAWANA GANT, 22, WERE ALSO KILLED. THE SIXTH VICTIM, CHARLES SMITH, 72, RESIDED IN THE HOME WITH OSCAR AND HIS PARENTS.
ACCORDING TO FIRE OFFICIALS, THE BLAZE WAS ACCIDENTAL. INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS REVEALED THAT IT STARTED WITH ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN WIRING IN SPACE BETWEEN THE BASEMENT CEILING AND FIRST FLOOR OF THE HOUSE.
THE WILSONS HAD BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS SINCE JAN. 20, 2007, WHEN THEIR 17- YEAR -OLD DAUGHTER, TALESHIA FORD, WAS KILLED BY A STRAY BULLET AT A NW WASHINGTON GO-GO CLUB NEAR THE U STREET CORRIDOR.
