Friends mourning victims of Oakland warehouse fire

Monday, December 5, 2016
Friends mourning victims of Oakland warehouse fire
While crews continued recovery efforts to find the remaining bodies left in the Ghost Ship Oakland warehouse fire, people impacted by the tragedy stopped by one of several memorials around the building to pay their respects for the victims.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dozens of memorials have popped up in Oakland from people who knew the victims and even those who didn't are dropping of flower and notes to honor the lives lost.

While crews continued recovery efforts to find the remaining bodies left in the Ghost Ship Oakland warehouse fire, people impacted by the tragedy stopped by one of the several memorials around the building to pay their respects to the victims.

"A kid from my choir at school got stuck there," Gabriel Bibliowicz said.

He says his 17-year-old high school friend died in that blaze.

"It's been awful it hasn't sunk in yet," he said. "Honestly, it doesn't feel real."

Bibliowicz did not want to release the name of his friend out of respect for the family, but he told us he met his friend three years ago while attending the San Francisco School of Arts.

"He was nothing but smiles, energetic," he said, describing his friend. "He never wanted to stop having fun. He was always pushing to keep the night going. He didn't want it to end."

As Bibliowicz grapples with the reality of losing someone close to him, he is reminded of the last conversation the two shared days ago.

"Before leaving school on Friday, I saw I said goodbye," he said. "I told him to have a good weekend, and it breaks my heart that goodbye were the last words."

Lakshmi Kerner came to the scene to support those grieving the loss of a loved one.

"I wanted to get to the people who have lost people so I can give them a hug and support them," she said. "My heart is broken."