East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said charges will not be filed against hospitality business junior Brian Weber, one of the 11 students who lived in an East Lansing house that caught fire April 16.
In a statement Thursday, Pratt said the department believes Weber was wrong to turn off the fire alarm after it initially rang, but will not pursue charges due to the circumstances of the fire.
“We feel that the individual made a bad choice in a stressful situation; however, the students lost nearly everything and adding criminal charges would only exacerbate the tragic situation,” Pratt wrote in a statement.
The fire destroyed the house at 318 Elm Place, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage. None of the students had renter’s insurance; however, they have received aid from the university and the community.
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