NEW YORK CITY, NY. - Two days after a fire at the Washington Place on the border of the Upper East Side, killing 12 people, forensics have asserted that arson may have been to blame based on fingerprint evidence. Police are currently looking for suspect Flint Deckard.
Initial reports concluded that faulty aluminum wiring was the cause of the blaze, which also injured 20 people. Previously, fire officials said that damaged smoke monitoring systems and poorly marked exit signs contributed to the casualties. In addition, the building had not been inspected for fire safety standards or code requirements within the past year.
But speculation of arson and survivor accounts have persisted since the blaze, some citing that a robbery had been underway in one of the apartments. Police say that there appeared to have been a struggle before the four-person family was shot dead and the suspect started a fire. The resulting explosion caused further deaths and casualties.
Flint Deckard is described to be a lanky, 6'2" Caucasian male with brown hair of 41 years of age.
Deckard is a convicted felon and previously served a term in prison for destruction of property using improvised explosives in Massachusetts. Police believe him to be armed and dangerous and warn citizens not to approach him directly. Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous tipline at 212-NYPD.