NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — It's been just over a week since a fire ripped through an apartment building at the Shorter College Garden Apartments in North Little Rock— but the anger and frustration of the tenants are still fresh.
"I think just being here made me angry and sad at the same time," said Shaundell McCants, a relative of one of the victims.
McCants drove all the way from an Atlanta suburb to offer her support and to grieve.
"I love my father," she said. "He was a good man."
Her father, Kenneth Jackson, died in the fire on October 4th. He was one of three residents to pass away.
"Just the person who was fun knew how to crack good jokes," McCants described. "Put a smile on your face."
Among those counting themselves lucky was Jordan Warren, who also lived in the building.
"It was a big explosion, I felt it," Warren explained. "I got out of the shower, looked outside, and everything was just on fire."
She grabbed her family and made it out, but like many others, her life has now been uprooted.
They've had support from the community, but now there's another helping hand coming from out of state.
"I'm here to make sure that they have a voice," said Terris Harris with the Cochran Firm out of Jackson, Mississippi.
Harris said that there were multiple complaints from residents about the smell of gas.
"For anyone to complain about problems with the way that they live, and nothing is done," he said. "It's sickening."
We reached out to The Millennia Companies, who own the Shorter College Garden Apartments, for a comment about the lawsuit. They declined to comment on that front and said it's their policy to not comment on pending litigation.
Their statement goes on to say, "While the investigation continues, the property management and leadership teams are working together with officials to respond to this tragedy and to support residents."
The statement ended with, "I can also confirm that there were no reports of gas leaks."
While answers could take time, life must go on for the families affected. For Warren, she still feels grateful every day to be here.
"I just happened to be up around that time, usually though, I would have been asleep, but my baby," Warren said. "You know, it could have been very tragic for us as well. I'm blessed to be here."
The North Little Rock Fire Department said that they're still investigating the cause of the fire.