White Bear Lake community unites in grief at concert after tragedies

White Bear Lake holds grief concert after multiple tragic deaths

A grief concert brought the White Bear Lake community together Monday night just days after even more tragic losses touched the city. Nicole Amor was a U.S. Army Reserve soldier killed in Iran operations, and Saturday morning, Jessi Pierce and her three kids died in a house fire.

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A grief concert brought the White Bear Lake community together Monday night just days after even more tragic losses touched the city.

Community gathers for healing after recent tragedies

What we know:

White Bear Lake United Methodist Church planned the concert months ago, but the event became especially meaningful after the deaths over the weekend of NHL reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children after a house fire and the death earlier this month of Master Sgt. Nicole Amor, who died in the Middle East. Both families were part of the White Bear Lake community.

Singer Jennifer Grimm performed for an hour, and many attendees said the music helped them process their grief and feel less alone. 

What they're saying:

"The church had already been planning this before these unfortunate tragedies happened recently that affected the White Bear community, and I think it’s just a really special time to have the community all come together," said Lisa Ketola, who attended the concert.

"It was just so touching and moving," said Sondra Nelson, who also attended the concert. "I lost my husband about two-and-a-half years ago, and this was a good thing for me to get out of the house and not be lonely."

Organizers mentioned the recent tragedies involving the Pierce and Amor families, and they distributed flyers with information on how to donate to them.

White Bear Lake fire update

The backstory:

Fire officials said Monday there is no evidence that the fire that ripped through a White Bear Lake home, which claimed the lives of a beloved hockey reporter and her three children, was intentionally set.

The fire broke out during the early morning hours of Saturday, March 21, on the 2100 block of Richard Avenue, which is just off White Bear Avenue north of County Road E.

Neighbors called 911, reporting seeing flames shooting from the roof of the home. Firefighters found the house fully engulfed in flames. When they were able to knock down the fire, they found all four victims inside.

The White Bear Lake Fire Department and Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office are dedicating all possible resources to the investigation.

"We are doing everything we can to find out what led to this tragedy," a statement from the fire department reads. Firefighters add that the investigation is still in its early stages and no evidence has been found that the fire was set intentionally.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and officials say more information will be released once the investigation is complete.