year-old chelsea dolan from san francisco, 29-year-old feral pines from berkeley, 21-year-old jennifer morris of foster city also lost their lives in that city. >> i didn't do anything ever in my life that would lead me up to this moment. i'm an honorable man, a proud man. i'm not going to answer these questions on this level. i would rather get on the floor and be trampled by the parents. >> that interview just a couple hours ago on nbc. that was the operator of the warehouse that went up in flames breaking down during a live interview on the "today" show. >> kris sanchez with more on this exclusive interview. kris? >> reporter: good morning. this morning derick almena was outraged and tearful as he talked about the young people whose lives were lost and about living here at the warehouse with his wife and three children who he says he put to bed every night. when he was asked about whether he and his wife were profiting from these illegal dwellings that turned deadly, he got very upset. >> i don't want to talk about it. i don't want to talk about me. i don't want to talk about profiting. th

jennifer morris and vanessa plotkin were undergraduates. there was also two graduate students and a volunteer at the college radio station. family members spoke about the pain and anguish of their loss. >> when she was young, as part of our church community, she accepted jesus into her heart. we know she is still alive today in heaven. >> i feel vanessa in my heart. she's in all of our hearts. >> reporter: victoria plotkin lost her sister and best friend in jenny morris. >> she was my twin sister and my best friend. she was my light, she was my sun. >> reporter: in the entrance way, friends and well wishers signed portrait pages to commemorate the event. 31 other families are going through this same dpreef over what never should have happened -- dpreef over what never -- grief over what never should have happened. >>> a woman who lost her boyfriend took solace with this photo of her and her boyfriend in new york city. he took the picture and then shared it with her recently. she said he was her best friend and brightest love. >>> coming up,

year-old chelsea dolan from san francisco, 29-year-old feral pines from berkeley and 24-year-old jennifer morris from foster city also lost their lives in the fire. of the 36 victims who died back here live, 22 have been positively identified, and their families identified. the makeshift memorial is growing. a lot of people coming here to pay their respects. three of the victims have to have scientific identification. live in oakland, sharon katsuda, back to you. >> thank you very much. such a loss there. loved ones joined complete strangers for a vigil at lake merrick. the parents of 35-year-old travis huff went to the party on friday night to support one of the musical performers. >> worked with trouble kids, trying to help them through whatever crisis they had. everybody at the school knew him as mr. travis and they all loved him. >> there was a lot of emotion at last night's vigil, there was also some anger. we're told gatherers actually booed mayor libby schaaf when she addressed the crowd. >>> members of the bay area transgender community held a vigil. at least three of the people who died

another victim was jennifer morris who went to the warehouse with a friend to enjoy the music and the dancing. as we mentioned chelsea dolan had a weekly program on the campus radio station kalx. she was performing at the warehouse party. doling grew up in marin county. mourners placed flowers in front of the job to remember her. >>> donald trump continues to thought his cabinet this morning . he has made his pick for secretary of defense and as we were -- and as we introduce -- as we have reported, he has introduced jane matus. >> i am here for run reason, to thank you the people of north carolina. >> donald trump continues his thank you tour with the south and north carolina tuesday. he reiterated his plan to punish stone who -- those who earn the american flag which even some republicans say goes against free speech. >> we love our flag and we don't like it will we see people ripping up the flag and burning the flag. >> he says they will immediately put a ban on immigration from certain regions in order to prevent terrorists from entering the country. >> right now thousands and tho

jennifer morris was a student at uc berkley. >> michaela gregory and her boyfriend were at the party and he remains missing. >> he was a film maker, originally from brooklyn. >> 28-year-old micah danemayer. 34-year-old edmond lapine was originally from utah, he was a musician that loved to spin vinyl and other victims include em boklka, and chelsea dolan and justin fritz and benjamin runnels of oakland. >> let's go to dan in oakland tonight. dan? >> reporter: thank you very much, crews are working on part of the warehouse behind me, using a crane and lights to work in the dark. the noise you hear is them cutting away part of the wall that was a concern for the authorities searching the building. they are worried it could collapse. so you hear them cutting it away. they are knocking it down with a sledge hammer and it's falling to the street below. so far, 36 bodies have been recovered and 33 identified. searchers say they cannot detect any more bodies at this point and unsure if they find anymore. everyone hoping they do not. they have another quarter of the building to search. the b

. >> 21-year-old jennifer morris in foster city, a student at uc berkeley. >> michela gregory lived in south san francisco, her boyfriend, alex vega was at party and remains "missing." >> 35-year-old alex ghassan, from oakland, father of two, a filmmaker originally from brooklyn. >> micah danemayer a sound and video artist and his girlfriend, elaina contain is -- kane is missing. >> edmund lapine is from utah and a musician. >> 33-year-old em bohika from oakland, 33-year-old chelsea dolan of san francisco, and 32-year-old benjamin runnels of oakland. >> for more information on all of the victims, head to our newsup or abc7news.com. in the meantime can you share this badge or page through the photo gallery we have put together to honor the victims. >> an effort is underway to connect those people who were displaced by the four with those who want to help. >> matt is in berkeley with that part of the story. >> this is a unique building, a former mortuary and outside they teach outdoor skills to kids and adults. now, inside, they are doing something good for the victims of the ghost ship

jennifer morris was a student at uc berkley. >> michaela gregory and her boyfriend were at the party and he remains missing. >> he was a film maker, originally from brooklyn. >> 28-year-old micah danemayer. 34-year-old edmond lapine was originally from utah, he was a musician that loved to spin vinyl and other victims include em boklka, and chelsea dolan and justin fritz and benjamin runnels of oakland. >> let's go to dan in oakland tonight. dan? >> reporter: thank you very much, crews are working on part of the warehouse behind me, using a crane and lights to work in the dark. the noise you hear is them cutting away part of the wall that was a concern for the authorities searching the building. they are worried it could collapse. so you hear them cutting it away. they are knocking it down with a sledge hammer and it's falling to the street below. so far, 36 bodies have been recovered and 33 identified. searchers say they cannot detect any more bodies at this point and unsure if they find anymore. everyone hoping they do not. they have another quarter of the building to search. the b

--y jennifer morris, de foster city.c d top vo lorena -- las autoridades tambien ofrecieron hoy disculpas a la comunidad transgenero, ya que una de las victimas fue primero identificada con su nombre de nacimiento y no como l habia decidido nombrarse. -- la alguacil del condado alameda indic que su departamento trabaja con defensores de la comunidad "lgbt", para identificar correctamente el genero de algunas de las victimas. blanca ---mientras los investigadores se acercan cada vez mas a determinar donde y que origin el incendio dentro del almacen "barco fantasma" de oakland , el fundador del centro artistico defiende lo que el asegura es "el espiritu de la comunidad" y habl en exclusiva para el cadena nbc. pkg exclusive on d ;01 ;15 pkg sot-derick ion almena 10:46 "i'd rather get down on parents, i rather let them tearo answer these questions. i'm so incredibly sorry. i'm not going to answer these questions. 00 --derick ion almena en la entrevista mostro tristeza r la perdida de tantas vidas... pero su tristeza se fue c

. >> grant:he talked to teachers who knew jennifer morris. >> grant:one of the 36 victims who did not survive the fire. >> reporter:21-year-old jennifer morris was a u-c berkeley student who lived in foster city. >> reporter:before college, she attended san mateo high school. where she left a strong impression on her teachers. >>sot- "she was super smart." >> reporter:math teacher jared wilke says jennifer was enrolled in pre-calculus her sophomore year and a-p stats her senior year. jenny as he calls her, one of his favorite students, in part because they shared similar passions for art and music. >>sot- "she's the type of kid that i would have expected, you know, if i was at an all-day music festival, i'd be like, oh there's jenny -- i haven't seen her in a longtime and say hi, you know, she was, she was that type of kid. i, just, its strange that that won't happen." >> reporter:we're told jennifer loved to sing and played several instruments. >>sot- "she would bring her ukulele to class almost everyday and they'd go off and all their friends would go sit in the corner and they'd si

. >> she went to the ghost ship with her roommate 20-year-old jennifer morris from foster city. she also died. >> stories of love and light are shining through. >> sometimes miracles do happen. >> reporter: she was looking for a facebook miracle, a picture of her with boyfriend griffin madden, a treasured memory from a trip to times square. madden did not survive the ghost ship fire. days after her heartfelt plea, a message of hope from the photographer who took this picture. he posted it to her page writing, miracles happen. he said he remembered the pretzel in her hand, the lipstick on his cheek. she remembered it this way, writing on facebook, the lights filled my heart with excitement. the massive number of people energized every fiber of my being and right beside me was my best friend, my brightest love. saya loved griffin openly and endlessly from the moment she laid her eyes on him as a freshman at uc berkeley. a love captured in these pictures. >> it's going to take a while. it really is. >> reporter: a co-worker is also taking solace in his memories. >> his reputation p

. >> catherine:21, jennifer morris ... a student. her friend wrote, we will dance again in our dreams. >> catherine:micah, reme mbered as a big music lover . >> steve: (male announcer): this is the bay area news station, kron 4 news starts now. >> steve: good evening, i am steve aveson. >> vicki: and, i am vicki liviakis, in for pam moore. >> steve: j.r? >> at this time we have proclaimed a local state of emergency. >> reporter: in connection with local warehouse fire that left the six people dead. --thirty six >> reporter: out of the 36 of victims, but the of the families have been notified about their loved ones. authorities, are still working to identify one of the victims. and tuesday the city made 30 years of record available. with connection to this location. 10 complaints, one of them coming as late as last

victims including 28-year-old my key danemayer, edward lapine, chelsea coal land and 21-year-old jennifer morris of foster city, also lost their lives in that fire. as we start to put faces to names, we're learning more about the recovery efforts still under way. >> let's go to "today in the bay's" pete suratos who has been on this story for the past 72 hours, continuing to stay on top of the latest developments. expecting another news conference about an hour and a half. also learning about a gut-wrenching text message from one of the victims. >> reporter: good morning, sam and laura. in about an hour and a half, another news conference, a third consecutive morning we've been getting these brief tinges from oakland police on where they are in this investigation. they can hop up on the podium at any moment. it has definitely taken an emotional toll on first responders. the number of victims standing at 46. we'll learn possibly during the 6:00 a.m. press conference if there's more. there was a report around 2:15 that said there was a coroner's van leaving the site in the warehouse. crews are able

worked and her brother said she was at the party painting people's nails a hobby. 21-year-old jennifer morris lived in foster student, a student. >> michela gregory lived in south san francisco and her boyfriend remains missing from the party. alex ghassan, 35, father of two and film make freeway brooklyn. 28-year-old micah danemayer of oakland a sound and video artist, his girlfriend remains missing. 34-year-old edmund lapine, an artist from utah, and was a musician who loved to spin vinyl. and 33-year-old em bohika of oakland. 33-year-old chelsea dolan of san francisco. 29-year-old pines of berkeley, and benjamin runnels of oakland. more on abc7news.com. reggie? natasha? >> authorities of working to identify the rest of the victims, with notifications to families beyond the united states, to finland, korea, and guatemala. the sheriff said they do not expect the death toll to dramatically rise again. >> we cannot locate any other deceased victims but we are prepared to remove them if the fire department and a.t.f. locate them. we do not anticipate anymore human numbers. >> the sheriff said a

. -- jennifer morris, 21, foster city. sandra mas nombres de las victimas lorena/take vo --decenas de personas se reunieron esta noche en el distrito castro de san francisco para llevar a cabo una vigilia a la luz de las velas en honor a las vctimas del incendio en oakland... --el acto tuvo lugar en la plaza harvey milk, auspiciado por la reverenda 'megan rohrer'' y otros lderes religiosos transexuales, resaltando el hecho de que muchas del las vctimas de esta tragedia y otras afectadas por la misma, eran transgnero... take fs1 cesar -- el presidente obama envi sus condolencias a los familiares y amigos de la vctimas diciendo lo siguiente: ''nuestras oraciones estn con las personas de oakland, california despus del incendio mortal en el almacen este fin de semana, uno de los peores incendios en la historia del estado." take fs 2 cont lorena -- agrego ademas..."oakland es una de las ciudades ms diversas y creativas del pas, y mientras las familias y residentes se unen a raiz de esta terrible tragedia, tendrn el apoyo del pu

. >> grant:one of them ==== 21 year old jennifer morris. >> grant:morris was a u-c berkeley student whon foster city. she went to san mateo high school.where she left a lasting impression on her teachers. >> grant:they describe her as very smart.with a passion for art and music. we're told jennifer loved to sing and play instruments. and that she often brought her ukulele to class and would sing with her friends. return to index of stories... >> steve: 22 year old alex vega is also being remembered tonight family and friends say vega loved to have a good time. >> steve:and would often go to dance parties around the bay area. >> steve:he graduated from capuchino high school where he is being remembered as a gentle soul who was creative and caring. >> steve:for more than five years, alex dated 20-year- old michela gregory of south san francisco. who was with him the night of the fire, and also did not survive. >> steve: >> grant:our coverage of the deadly warehouse fire continues online. visit kron-4 dot com for a full list of the victims and their stories. you can also follow the investi

. >> grant:21-year-old jennifer morris was a u-c berkeley student who lived in foster city. a friend wrote on her facebook page - "we'll dance again in our dreams.here's to goot times, long nights and memories." return to >> steve: thanks, grant. >> steve:our coverage continues at kron-4 dot com. there you can find a timeline of the fire investigation and read more about the victims' lives. all at kron-4 dot com return >> vicki:authorities continue their county woman. --search for a missing trinity county woman, >> steve:her relatives are evendescribed kidnap consultant cameron gamble...who worked on the high profile case of sherri papini. 51-year-old stacey smart of lewiston, california... was reported missing on november 2nd. >> steve:her family says the last time they were in contact with her was october 12th. now...smart's family is seeking the help of gamble... who posted a video reward offer last month for missing jogger sherri papini's kidnappers. >> steve:papini turned up free a day later on thanksgiving. however... police say they do not believe the offer spurred he

including 21-year-old jennifer morris. she was a u-c berkeley student who lived in foster city. she went to san mateo high school.where she left a lasting impression on her teachers. >> steve:they describe her as very smart.with a passion for art and music. >> steve:new at ten. >> steve:the parents of a woman missing in the oakland warehouse fire say they've been notified their daughter has died. >> grant:yes, heart- wrenching news. obviously. >> grant:jennifer mendiola was 35 years old. and a sacramento native. >> grant:she had just moved to oakland the day before the fire. >>"it's sort of numbing." >> grant:janet and john barmby knew their daughter jennifer mendiola who also goes by the name alana kane was at the party friday night at the ghost ship. >> grant:they waited four excruciating days for the news they never wanted to hear. >>"i don't think we cried or anything at the time, just sort of going around in a little bit of a daze" >> grant:but wednesday morning. they found out, their daughter's body was identified. saddend by the news. her parent now face frustration. >>"w

jennifer morris, a junior majoring in media studies, she was from foster city attended uc santa cruz before going to cal. uc berkeley is offering counselling services. >> we know 36 people died at the search is not yet finished. >> families are being notified as identifications are complete but some knew the bad news before it became official. >> sergio quintana continues that story tonight. sergio? >> reporter: one featured musician friday night was a young man who went by dj knacked. a lot of the co-workers here knew him as johnny egaz. one co-worker says he was probably in the middle of his music set when that fire started. >> they knew he was a night owl. his picture on his tattoos made that clear. >> let's assume you're going to be out friday night. so i'm going to schedule you at noon. >> the co-owner of green apple books and music says egaz left an impression on the music section of the store, writing post it notes with recommendations, learning of the death, it's tough to handle. >> i've never been more proud to be a part of green apple than on saturday morning. we have those

and jennifer morris lived ins for december city a student at uc berkeley.la gregory lived in south san francisco with her boyfriend, alex vega. also at the party the he is missing. alex ghassan, father of two, a filmmaker originally from brooklyn. micah danemayer of oakland, a sound and video artist. his girlfriend is missing. edmund lapine was an artist from utah, a musician we loved to spin vinyl. 33-year-old em bohika is another victim from oakland. and chelsea dolan of san francisco. 29-year-old justin fritz. and ferel pines, 29 years old from berkeley, and 32-year-old benjamin runnels of oakland. we are sharing more information for you on our when at abc7news.com. we have little information but they all had very full lives. >> authorities are working to identify the rest of the fire victims now. notifications have again out to families beyond the united states, in finland, korea and guatamala. the sheriff said they do not specific the death toll to dramatically jump. >> we cannot locate any other deceased victims but we are prepared to remove them if t

edmund lapine, jennifer morris, benjamin renoylds of oakland and jennifer taguye, 31 years old also fromakland. >>> amid the tragedy from friday's devastating fire our stories of survival that are emerging. >> i couldn't breathe, i couldn't see anything. that is when the power went out. >> and plus two women say that they escaped the wall of flames. >> we are going to take you back live to the scene of the fire for an update from their alameda county sheriff's department with the latest on their investigation. sir? you give me that salad and i will pay for your movie and one snack box. can i keep the walnuts? yes. but i get to pick your movie. can i pick the genre? nope. with the blue cash everyday card you get cash back on purchases with no annual fee. backed by the service and security of american express. ytherand always leave youagics willwanting even more.der because one day just isn't enough. here, there is magic for days. >>> the oakland cathedral of christ the light opened up their doors for people to mourn the victims of friday's tragic warehouse fire. we saw a number of people

one of the other victims was jennifer morris went to the warehouse with a friend to dance and enjoy the music. several victims had connections with uc berkeley. chelsea dola had a weekly program on the radio station. she was performing at the warehouse party. share grew up in marin county and had worked at the ice cream parlor, the fairfax coop. mourners placed flowers in front of the business in her memory. >>> it does look like the male is trying to protect the female from the fire. he had his arm underneath the female. for people to see that is very emotional for them. >> investigators saw the body of the man and woman huddled together. they were found on top of an rv after plunging from a floor above that had collapsed. >>> the families of the victims are being allowed to go there and see the fire seen up close. officials yesterday exported family members through the site so they could see firsthand what happened. in oakland fire department chaplain says fire crews are doing what they can to offer comfort and support. >> they have the desire to do their job so there is some conclusi

one of younger victims was jennifer morris went to the warehouse with a friend to enjoy the music and dancing. as we mentioned earlier, several victims had connections to uc berkeley. chelsea dolan had a weekly program on the campus radio station kalx. she was performing at the warehouse party. she grew up in marin county and had work at the ice cream parlor, the fairfax coop. mourners placed flowers in from the shop to remember her. >>> we have developing news of a huge earthquake in indonesia where these 97 people were killed -- hours ago . this is cell phone video. you can see a building coming down on a car. the death toll could rise as some victims might still be very in the rubble of the collapsed -- very in the rubble of the collapsed -- buried in the rubble of the collapsed building. in 2000 for more than 80,000 people were killed in an earthquake and tsunami in that region. >>> today is the 75th anniversary of the bombing of pearl harbor by japan. the attack lasted more than 7 hours. it ended with severe damage to the us pacific fleet. most of the battleships were repaired an

her room nate, jennifer morris from foster city, 33-year-old chelsea dolan and griffin madden, beloved as a volunteer coordinator for calib cal performances. >> he worked with the program. >> reporter: david cline also died in the fire. >> if anyone had a bright future ahead of him, it was david cline. >> reporter: tearful families took the stage at this vigil and personalized the heartache. >> vanessa is my twin sister. she is my best friend. she is my light. she is my sun. >> reporter: family and friends hoped their legacy would inspire future artists and musicians here at uc berkeley. i'm leslie brinkley, abc 7 news. >> for more information, go to abc7news.com and look through the photo gallery we've put together honoring those victims. >>> barbara lee made a motion. >> we will continue to support our residents during this very difficult time with any recovery efforts. and now i ask the house to observe a moment of silence. >> all present, rise for a moment of silence. >> bay area flankly, called the victims young and being resilient and compassionate. >>> two more fund-raisers will

. >> two uc berkeley undergrad, vanessa plotkin and jennifer morris and two recent alumni, clifd clyne and one campus volume fear chelsea faith dolan. >> it's a huge tragedy for the entire area. >> we'll be leaning on each other in the coming days to support each other and to support the families. >> plotkin and morris were roommates and had attended the ghost ship party together and both were juniors and volunteers at kalx, the campus radio stakes. morris from foster city was minimum wage oregon in media studies. the department released a statement. jenny was a wonderfullly bright and thoughtful young woman who came to the study of media at cal in order to better understand the world around here. clyne majored in cognitive science and madden also graduated with degrees in philosophy and slavic language. he was so passionate about the arts he started work being here at caliper formances when he was just a director. chelsea was a volunteer deejay for almost four years and they feel the loss of her personality and jen rous art. elissa harrington, abc 1 news. >> for more information on th

starting with vanessa and jennifer morris. they were current students at the school and they died in the fire friday night griffin matting, david kleinberg graduates and chelsea dolan was a volunteer dj. she was performing inside of the electronic music show when the fire broke out. there is a memorial to those victims and the 31 others who died there on friday night flowers, candles, and pictures line the site. all of the mementos are still there this morning even though the candles are no longer burning and some of the pictures and handwritten note are soaked because of the rain. people who knew the victims have come by throughout the week to stop at different parts of the memorial say their goodbyes reflect and remember friends. and, they lived in the area they were moved by what happened and they wanted to pay their respects. >> we just wanted to show some support for our neighbors. we are a tightknit community and it's the least that we could do. >> reporter: they're trying to figure out what they are going to do with all

year-old undergraduate vanessa pock wheat went to the ghost ship with her roommate 20-year-old jennifer morris from foster city who also died. >>> cause of the fire is still unknown. today the atf requested a mapping team to diagram the inside of the warehouse. laura anthony has new information tonight about what contacts government agency had or didn't have at the warehouse leading up to the fire. >> this man did not want his identity revealed for fear of retribution but he worked at the ghost ship warehouse as recently as last thursday during security and odd jobs. he says the social worker from alameda county child protective services services was in the warehouse just days before the fire. to check on children of founder derek allman. >> upstairs down stars. they the were there. >>reporter: confidentiality c p s wouldn't confirm or deny such a visit. the man also told us there was a fire inside the building last week involving a refrigerator. fire he helped put out where was it? >> it was by the kitchen, kitchen rec. room. electric right there. tivshtion concerned about fire 20 fraechbilit

and jennifer morris remembered by someone who says good bye old friend. we'll dance again in our dreams. and chelsea dolan, she studied classical music at the san francisco music conservatory. just a glance at complex lives that were cut all too short. back to you. >> we have much more on the oakland warehouse fire on our website. you can find a slide show of photos of the warehouse before the fire. scott budman just showed us photos of those who lost their lives and we have more photos on nbcbayarea.com. we'll be right back. >>> we've learned several families have contacted attorneys and a prominent real estate broker says anotherer tragedy could happen. stephen stock joins us with the comp lkted legal issues. we just heard the oakland mayor saying it's not as easy as it seems for them to access the warehouses. >> these are just a few of the ordinances and laws governing who is supposed to inshur a safe and secure living area in oakland and san francisco. the bottom line is that special interests and specific interests could be on the legal hook for that

jennifer morris was a 21-year- old uc berkeley student who attended uc santa cruz. jennifer was 31 described as having a vibrant personality. she was a music manager and she did nail art and volunteered at issues a local magazine and music shop. this victim was a trans woman who broke poetry and served up a good cup of coffee. feral pines was another victim her father told a magazine she was a gentle soul never had a bad word to say. according to facebook she studied at the evergreen pined -- pines. chelsea doland was a musician who volunteered hosting a show at berkeley-based radio station. she was teaching the night of the fire. chelsea was 33 and was studying classical piano. her true love was electronic music. this well-known musician as well condolences received from as far away as sweden. he was uncompromising in his search for life and trust in himself. he lived fully and well, he was brave he took better care of himself and those around him than anyone i have ever met. >> there are three victims who have not been identified whose names have not been placed on

hundreds gathered for the special service. 20-year-old jennifer morris and 21-year-old vanessa plotkin were undergraduates. 24-year-old david cline and 25- year-old griffin madden were recent graduates, and 33-year- old chelsea bolton was a volunteer at the campus radio station. vanessa plotkin's twin sister victoria was among those who shared their grief. >> i love you, jenny [ crying ]. vanessa was my twin sister -- >> vanessa was my twin sister. she was my best friend [ crying ]. she was my light. she was my son. s my son. >> friends and well-wishers also wrote messages on large portraits of the victims to commemorate the event. >>> and one-time oakland barbecue restaurant is facing backlash after the owner made a public plea for a live work loft next door to bring itself into compliance with safety and fire laws. some supporters of the space known as the salt lake called the owner of the barbecue restaurant a snitch for speaking out. someone said michael taylor posted hate filled comments on facebook against the business owner. dorothy king was a community activist and says she was

. >> another victim of the fire has been positively identified as jennifer morris.-old was a student at uc berkeley. they went to the party with her roommate who remains unaccounted for still this morning. gasia, back over to you. >> thank you, alex. >>> the youngest victim is a 17- year-old boy. the son of an alameda county sheriff's deputy. he was a junior in high school. we will bring in tara moriarty now for more on his story. >> reporter: well, two of his classmates say that they went to the ghost ship party with him. they were on the second floor. and they thought that somebody had turned on a fog machine because they thought they saw mist coming up from the first floor. it turns out that was smoke. as soon as they realized that, the lights went out. the two friends stumbled for the make shift staircase. barely made it out. couldn't see a thing. when they turned around, he wasn't with them. ♪[music] >> reporter: draven performed and toured with the boy choir of oakland for more than five years, touring the world. he appeared on america's got talent. ultimately

and her brother said that three believes she was painting people's nails, a bobby. 21-year-old jennifer morris lived in foster city, a student at uc berkeley. >> 20-year-old michela gregory lived in south san francisco, her boyfriend, also watt at party and he remains missing. >> 35-year-old alex ghassan a father of two a filmmaker originally from brooklyn. micah danemayer of oakland was a sound and video art it. his girlfriend, is still missing. >> edmund lapine, an artist from utah, was a musician who loved to spin vinyl. >> other victims include em bohika from oakland. 33-year-old chelsea dolan of san francisco. francisco. and 29-year-old ferrell >> this is bringing a lot of the community together over the 36 who have lost their lives, even strangers wanting to help and offer comfort. >> it is just really desperately tragic. actually someone also had the seen and i was like, i really want to offer hugs because it feels like the best way to share the empathy of the grief we're all experiencing. >> some people add this vigil showed up with what appears to be ghost ships with pictures of the v

and 21-year-old jennifer morris also lost their lives in the fire. back here live, there is still a lot more work to be done. at one point the authorities telling us that one of the victims still identified as john doe. live in hayward, i'm sharon c katsuda, nbc bay area news. >>> the founder of the art collective is defending the spirit of his community. in an exclusive interview on nbc's "today" show derek ion almena expressed sorrow but grew combative when asked about whether he should be helped accountable. >> i would rather get on the floor and be trampled by the parents. i would rather let them tear my flesh than answer these ridiculous questions. i am so sork. i am incredibly sorry. what do you want me to say? i'm not going to answer these questions. >> that's how he responded when asked about whether he is responsible for the 36 souls lost in the deadly oakland fire on friday night. almena rented the warehouse three years ago, dreaming of a place, he says, where artists could thrive and people could be themselves. >> i leave my body down ther

. >> reporter: jennifer morris, 20. and vanessa, 21 were undergraduates. david klein, 24. griffin madden, 23, recent graduates. chelsea dolan3, 3, was a volunteer at campus radio station klax. family members spoke of the pain and anguish of their loss in this sad and solemn memorial for the young victims. >> when jenny was young, as part of our church community, she was learning about the lord, and she accepted jesus into her heart. so we know that she's still alive today in heaven. thank you. >> vanessa, i feel her here in my heart. she is in all of our hearts. >> reporter: victoria not only lost her sister, she also lost her lifetime best friend in jenny morris. >> i love you, jenny. i miss so you much. and i love my twin sister. she was my best friend. she was my light. she was my fun. >> reporter: in the entranceway friends and well wishers signed portrait pages to commemorate the event. 31 other family and friends are going through this same grief over would never should have happened. tom vacar, ktvu, fox 2 news. >> an emotional moment there on the campus. >>> we're

the public five of these 36 victims who died in the fire had connection to berkeley vanessa, jennifer morris, they were students at the school griffin, david, where graduates. chelsea, was a volunteer dj with a radio station. she was performing inside of the warehouse when the fire broke out ready night. and there is an informal memorial to all of those victims and the 31 others who died at the ghost ship warehouse fire. there are pictures, cards, placed along the barricades that continue to block the fire site. even though, those streets have opened up, those items are still in place. and, we did a check, the candles are no longer burning because of the rain and the flowers are wilting. some of the people who knew the victims personally have come to the memorial comes to the fire site throughout the week to say goodbye to friends and loved ones that we have also met throughout the course of the week many people who didn't know the victims personally felt compelled to come by. >> we just wanted to show support for our neighbors oakland is a tightknit community and it is the least we could do

jennifer morris and vanessa plotkin were undergraduates. 24-year-old david klein and 23- year-old griffins. 33-year-old chelsea dolan was a volunteer at the campus radio station. vanessa's twin sister victoria was among those who shared their grief. >> i love you, jenny. i miss you so much. >> vanessa was my twin sister. she was my best friend. she was my light. she was my sun. >> friends and well-wishers also wrote messages object large portraits of the victims to commemorate their lives. >>> the controversial man in charge of managing the ghost ship has been reunited with some of his tenants. derrick was spotted at a denny's in oakland on wednesday night, having dinner with some of the survivors of the warehouse fire. some former residents have accused him of ignoring clear dangers in the building. in an interview he said he was incredibly sorry with the fire but didn't say whether he should be held accountable for the tragedy. you will find more on the oakland fire tragedy including the latest on the investigation and what we have learned about the victims. we are also posting updates

undergrad juniors jennifer plotkin and morris were roommates. morris, from foster city, was majoring in medieval studies. jennifer was a bright and thoughtful young women who came to uc berkeley cal because of a passion of understanding around her. david klein of oakland graduated in 2015. he majored in computer science and cognitive science. griffin madden also graduated last year with degrees in philosophy and slavic language. >> griffin madden was so passionate about the arts that he started working here when he was just a freshman. classmates are grieving for his death. >> we want to honor the lives of those who perished. >> reporter: in a statement chancellor nicolas dirk said, we send our con dolel condolences t to the families of these victims. >> they will hold a vigil at noon to honor the victims. they'll also distribute free tickets to a performance this weekend of handel's messiah who will be given in honor of griffin madden. >>> why was a man running out onto the field while planes were taxiing at the airport? >> how police finally m

one of the other younger victims was jennifer morris who went to the warehouse with a friend to dance and enjoy the music. as we told you, several victims had connections to uc berkeley. chelsea dolan had a weekly program on the campus radio station and known as d.j. cherusi. she grew up in marin county and had worked at the ice cream parlor the fairfax scoop. flowers were placed in front of the parlor in her memory. >>> to the latest on donald trump's preparations to take over the white house in january. mr. trump continued his thank you tour with a stop in north carolina yesterday. he introduced his secretary of defense choice, general james mattis and plans to make more nominations to his cabinet in the coming days. >> we have some great, great people going to be named over the next couple of days. >> the president-elect met with another stream of visitors at trump tower yesterday, including former secretary of state henry kiss inger. >>> president-elect donald trump has invited silicon valley execs to meet with him next week. we're also hearing the ceo of cisco and oracle plan to