(KRON) The mother of a man killed in the Oakland Ghost Ship fire is blaming the city.
Emilie Grandchamps said her son, Alex Ghassan, was a producer, a director and a father of twin four-year-old girls. She said Alex didn’t live in the building, but was at the party with his fiancée.
In addition to the city of Oakland, Grandchamps says “I hold the manager, I hold the business owners, I certainly hold the city, I don’t think they did their job thoroughly.. everyone that’s involved in making.. the artists, the people, the most beautiful people in the world, without them, life wouldn’t even be pleasant.”
Alex Ghassan, 35, spent the last seven years producing and directing projects for institutions, record labels and independent artists and corporations in the New York City market, according to a biography on his website. Most recently he’d been working in California as a contributing documentary producer for PBS affiliate KQED in San Francisco.
His mother, Emile Grandchamps, told CNN’s “New Day” that Ghassan didn’t live in the building where the fire occurred, but attended the party with his fiancée to support the artists. She said that her son planned to move to Finland with his fiancée.
“He had a lot of things waiting for him,” she said.
Ghassan was the father of twin 4-year-old girls, she said.
“I lost my only child,” Grandchamps said. “My granddaughters don’t have a father. My husband doesn’t have a son. My family doesn’t have Alex.”
He was originally from New Jersey and of Haitian descent. His sister, Richardine Bartee, confirmed his death on her Facebook page, writing, “Alex, I miss you and I love you, and I always will. I will do my best to continue to help the people that need help, just like you have. You were a great man with a great soul. I hope to be half as great as you.”