A memorial continued to grow outside a south Edmonton home Wednesday morning after a five-month-old baby boy died following an arson at the house early Tuesday morning.
Police have confirmed the fire was deliberately set and the homicide unit is investigating the baby’s death. An autopsy revealed the five-month-old died of smoke inhalation.
Several people stopped by the house in the Ambleside neighbourhood Wednesday morning to lay flowers or leave stuffed animals as part of a memorial growing for Hunter Brown.
“It’s just such a hard story to hear when a little one’s lost and the mom is suffering,” said Tamara Schmidt, who brought flowers. She’s lived in the area for about a year-and-a-half.
“It’s just really sad to lose such a young life, and a tragedy. The family is going to feel this for years to come,” she said. “Hopefully they see the flowers and know there’s support.”
READ MORE: Father of baby boy who died in Edmonton arson speaks out
The baby and his mother, 29-year-old Angie Tang, were on the second floor of the home when the fire broke out at around 4 a.m. Tuesday. The pair was rescued from the home by firefighters and taken to hospital.
The baby died in hospital. Tang remained in hospital Wednesday in critical but stable condition.
READ MORE: Baby boy’s death a homicide, house fire deliberately set: Edmonton police
Kyle Whitford was one of eight people in the home when the fire started. He returned to the house on Wednesday, not sure what he was going to do.
“I’m just here to see what’s going to happen,” he said. “Police and fire department told me that it’s going to get demolished and whatever’s in there is gone. I think one of the downstairs tenants said they managed to get her car keys but that was it.
“They said they tried looking in there and it was just gone. Everything is gone, it’s just black and ashes.”
Whitford has lived in the house for about two-and-a-half years and knew Tang, Hunter and his father, Cordell Brown, well.
“It’s really, really sad. It’s really sad to hear he died,” Whitford said of Hunter. “I cried a little bit this morning.
“They were nice people and they took me in… There were a lot of fun times there.”
Neighbours told Global News there had been routine visits to the home in the past year by police and ambulance.
The boy’s death is Edmonton’s 32nd homicide of the year. As of Wednesday, police said they did not have any suspects in custody.
A GoFundMe page has been set up and will be split up between the victims of the fire.