© Stephen Lam / Reuters
Officials said early Tuesday they believe they have found all 36 bodies of the victims who died in an Oakland warehouse fire during a dance party Friday night, and evidence so far shows that some were able to text friends and family before they perished. Sgt. Ray Kelly, of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, said victims texted friends and family: “I’m going to die,” and “I love you.” Kelly said rescue personnel also found bodies that were “protecting each other, holding each other.” Officials had only finished going through 75 percent of the debris Monday, but said they believe they won’t find any more bodies. The three-dozen victims ranged in age from 17 to their late thirties. Twenty-two families have been notified of a loved one’s death; the remaining victims are still being identified. It is still unclear how the deadly blaze started, but the district attorney said murder charges are one possible outcome of an investigation. “We owe it to the community and those who perished in this fire, and those who survived the fire to be methodical, to be thorough, and to take the amount of time it takes to be able to look at every piece of potential evidence,” said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley.