An 8-year-old girl is dead and her mother was hospitalized following a fire at a home in Clinton, Saturday night.
“It’s tragic,” said William Murphy Jr., Kennedy’s uncle. “An eight year old girl, beautiful full of energy, full of life, she had her whole life in front of her.”
Prince George's County fire officials responded to the house fire in the 6100 block of Parkview Lane just after 11 p.m. They managed to reach the child in the family den, but found Kennedy Pearson had already succumbed to injuries.
"She was at my house yesterday playing and she wanted some candy,” said one distraught neighbor. "She was such a sweet little girl.”
Investigators say Kennedy's mother ran to a neighbors house to tell them her daughter was trapped inside the burning home, but help did not arrive in time. She was later treated for burn and smoke injuries.
It took about 15 minutes to put the fire out. At least 30 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.
Throughout the morning, neighbors came to the house with flowers. One young neighbor, who described Kennedy as his best friend, left a teddy bear on the front steps of the burned out home.
Murphy said the family was thankful for the outpouring of support and sympathy in the hours after the fire.
Prince George's County fire officials said the cause of the fire, while still under investigation, appears to be accidental.
They did find a smoke detector in the home, but officials said it did not appear to be working.
