The Bristol County DA Says It Incorrectly Declared a 10th Person Dead in Fall River Fire

The woman is alive, but in critical condition

Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Lindsey Poole / RIPBS
Share
Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Lindsey Poole / RIPBS
The Bristol County DA Says It Incorrectly Declared a 10th Person Dead in Fall River Fire
Copy

The Bristol County District Attorney’s office said Friday it had mistakenly announced that a 10th person had died in the fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River.

The DA’s office said yesterday that 66-year-old Brenda Cropper had died. But now, the DA said that the mistake was due to “a miscommunication with a medical agency.”

Cropper is still alive, the DA said, but she remains in critical condition.

Nine others died in the Gabriel House fire. An investigation into the fire’s cause is still ongoing, but Fall River Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Bacon said he believes it was accidental.

The DA’s office has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Public’s Radio.

A thin-on-details report completes the first phase of an overdue study legislative leaders and the governor want from the agency facing $32.6 million FY2026 deficit
Interim President Rosemary Costigan and Hudson County’s Christopher Reber to participate in June forums as decision nears
Paxson, who has led Brown since 2012, will continue her presidency amid major campus initiatives and national challenges in higher education
Johnson & Wales University has lost more than 50% of its college population since 2011. A looming “demographic cliff” is expected to reduce that number even further, prompting JWU officials to consider how best to prepare for the financial consequences of lower student enrollment