By admin 
DUNN, N.C. (WNCN) — A Fourth of July apartment fire in Dunn that killed a seven-year-old boy and injured two others was caused by illegal fireworks, officials said Tuesday.
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According to the Dunn Fire Department, the blaze broke out just before 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 at the Ashbrooke Apartments on East Pope Street.
Firefighters arrived to find flames spreading through the building. Four apartments were damaged, including three that were occupied at the time of the fire.
Family members identified the child who died as seven-year-old Cashmere Elijah Parker.
Cashmere Elijah Parker 
Cashmere Elijah Parker
According to relatives, Cashmere was inside his parents’ apartment when fireworks struck the building, trapping him inside a room. Family members said his stepfather was injured during the fire.
Another person was taken to a hospital for treatment after attempting to save the child as well.
During a press conference on Tuesday, the Dunn Police Department said they determined the fire was started by illegal fireworks that had not been properly secured and were set off just yards from the apartment building.
Police have obtained an arrest warrant for 35-year-old Brittany Armstrong, who investigators said lit the fireworks. Armstrong, who police said also lives at the apartment complex, is wanted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
According to Dunn police, Armstrong told officers she would turn herself in, but as of Monday she had not done so and remains at large.
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Dunn Police Chief Lynn Gay called the tragedy preventable.
“It’s just senseless,” Gay said. “These fireworks are not from North Carolina and it should be done by a professional. We can’t just have people randomly setting off fireworks and causing this damage. We can replace buildings, but we cannot replace that child.”
Cashmere’s mother, Gloria Parker, spoke through tears as she mourned the loss of her son.
“You don’t know the pain if you never lost a child,” Parker said. “I’m still grieving over my mother three years ago. Now this is killing me. It’s killing me. I’m hurting. I’m hurting.”
Security camera video from inside the apartment shows Cashmere knocking on the doors and windows screaming for help, moments his mother continues to replay in her mind.
To help support Cashmere’s family, a GoFundMe has been created.
A candlelight vigil honoring Cashmere is scheduled for between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Ashbrooke Apartments.
The fire also damaged several families’ apartments, causing them to be displaced. Several organizations from across the state are working to assist them.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information on Armstrong’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Dunn Police Department.
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