Pottstown community gathers to grieve the loss of 5 family members in house explosion

POTTSTOWN, Pa. - Pottstown is united in grief, but also in resolve, supporting the family of the four children and one adult killed in a horrifying house explosion at Hale Street and Butler Avenue May 26th.

Neighbors and people from all across town gathered at Pottstown High School to share memories and to pray, while lightning candles for 12-year-old Jeremiah White, 10-year-old Nehemiah White, 13-year-old Alana Wood and eight-year-old Tristan White. 67-year-old Francine White also died.

Their neighbor, Kenny Cotton, says everything is still raw. "I got knocked to the ground by my doors, my screen popped out and I slid across the floor into my dining room, and I just see things blowing up," Cotton explained. "It’s good to see the community come together. It’s a shame that it had to come together like this. It’s nice to see a lot of people out here supporting, cause a lot of people lost a lot of things that day."

Religious and spiritual leaders say the community is still trying to figure out how to help, with parents the parents of the children killed still being treated for their injuries.

"Two of the folks involved are in critical condition, so I think we are all just kind of waiting to see where to jump in, but I know once we know what to do, we’ll be at it,"