15-year-old charged in Gwinnett County house fire that killed 10-year-old sister on Easter Sunday
Father of 10-year-old killed in house fire remembers daughter
The father of the 10-year-old girl who was found dead after a fire tore through her Gwinnett County home laughs as he remembers his daughter fondly. That fire was ruled an arson and the girl's death is being treated as a homicide investigation.
LOGANVILLE, Ga. - Gwinnett County police said the house fire that claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl on Easter Sunday was intentionally set and police charged the girl's 15-year-old sibling.
Gwinnett County police charged the boy with malice murder and felony murder. A charge for first-degree arson is expected.
Officials said crews arrived at Beaver Road at about 4:57 a.m. and found a burning one-story home.
"Once our crews arrived on scene we had heavy fire involvement throughout the entire front of the structure, it was just hidden away from a small wood line," said Lt. Justin Wilson with the Gwinnett County Fire Department. "When we were arriving on scene, we had reports of two people being trapped inside the home, a 10-year-old girl, and a 15-year-old boy."
The ten-year-old girl was Zoe McCue. Firefighters found her deceased in the home.
Fire crews searched for the 15-year-old for hours. He was later found outside the home around 9 a.m.
"Through coordination and cooperation with the Gwinnett County police investigators and Gwinnett County Fire Arson investigators, it was determined that this fire was arson and intentional in nature," Investigator Christian D'Allaird with the Gwinnett County Police Department said.
William McCue was at work with his teenaged daughter at the time of the fire. A coworker broke the news to him.
"I went over to her, and she told me I had to go home, there was a fire," he said. "I tried to get a hold of my wife and she answered the phone and said, come home."
When he got home, he saw the devastation.
He recalls his 10-year-old daughter lovingly.
"She kind of like take the lead and be in charge. She's a handful of a ten year and wants to be the boss of everybody. That's little Zoe," he said.
Police are investigating a deadly house fire as a homicide after the fire was ruled an arson on April 17, 2022.
Organizations including the Red Cross and One Powerhouse Outreach have already stepped in to help the displaced family of two adults, four children and two dogs.
"You wake up on Easter Sunday and you realize that you lost everything in a fire including a child, and that is just tragic within itself, absolutely." Demi Oche, the founder of the organization said. "So, we just want to help them get back into a better place."
McCue said it will take a lot of help from the community to help them.
"Prayers, love and support. That's what I ask for. We've got a wonderful community and I thank God for the type of people who are out here," he said.
"This is an extremely tragic situation for the family," Wilson said. "Our heartfelt condolences from (Gwinnett Fire) go out to them."
According to a family member, smoke alarms are installed but did not go off. Wilson said it's important for people to check the status of their smoke alarms.
The Gwinnett County Police Department said its investigators will be working closely with the Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services throughout the investigation.
If you'd like to support the family, there's a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and the family's recovery.