3 family members, Austin Voice’s Cummings among those dead in North Ave. fire

Three members of the Brown Henry family were among the four people who died in the early morning hours of June 26 when a suspicious and intense fire gutted a mixed-use building on North Avenue. Also killed in the fire was Brad Cummings, 76, the longtime editor of The Voice newspapers serving the West Side. 

Gina Brown Henry, 32; Destiny Brown Henry, 28, and Jayceon Henry, 5, died in the fire at 5220 W. North Ave. The three were cousins of Rev. George Smith Jr. In a statement issued by The Leaders Network, a coalition of West Side religious leaders, Smith said, “I’m really at a loss for words about my three cousins’ deaths. … It hurts so bad. They lived life to the fullest. … I loved the way they stayed together and respected their mother. … They are, were just good girls.” 

The Leaders Network announced at a Sunday press conference a $5,000 reward for anyone providing information about the person who allegedly set the fire. 

Immediately after the fire was struck on Thursday morning, Larry Langford, a Chicago Fire Department spokesperson, described the intensity of the fire and its rapid spread through the three-story structure. At that time, he also said the cause of the fire was “suspicious.” An aggravated arson investigation has been launched. 

While police have so far not speculated on why officials suspected arson, Emma Mitts, 37^th Ward alderperson, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday that the fire began after a fight between a young man and a female resident of the North Avenue building. She said the man allegedly later threw two Molotov cocktails into the building causing the conflagration. 

Three bodies were quickly recovered from the scene. But the city had to use heavy equipment to remove the roof before a K9 unit from the Cook County Sheriff’s Department was used to locate the fourth body. Four other people were initially hospitalized, and 28 residents were left unhoused. 

Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church and co-chair of the Leaders Network, said, “One of our beloved church deacons, Mr. George Smith Sr., and his son Rev. George Smith Jr, experienced an unspeakable and heartbreaking loss in that tragic fire. It was both senseless and devastating. My soul aches for them and for our entire community. We will not rest until those responsible for this horrific travesty are brought to justice and put behind bars.” 

Both Acree and Mitts mourned the death of Cummings. “He was a consistent visible presence at countless community events. He will be missed by the large number of faith and community leaders who worked with him,” said Acree. 

Mitts, in an interview with the Sun-Times, described Cummings as a community icon who “loved to work with folks. He loved doing things in the community.” 

Cummings was a well-known, deeply involved, beloved figure on the West Side. He had been involved in the Austin Voice and the Garfield/Lawndale edition of The Voice since its inception in the mid-1980s. 

A call to Isaac Jones, the paper’s publisher, was not immediately returned on Friday.