CHICAGO (WLS) — It’s been a difficult week for many in the Chicago Fire Department mourning the loss of Captain David Meyer.
The CFD captain died last week in a West Side fire that prosecutors say was ignited by a convicted felon.
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The community gathered at Gladstone park on Sunday to pay tribute to the Meyer family, displaying red ribbons along North Milwaukee Avenue, just outside the funeral home where visitation services will take place.
“This is what we do for the ones we love,” said volunteer Maureen Stanton, a longtime friend of Meyer. “We love Dave, and we love his family.”
The flare of red ribbons are now shining across the Northwest Side, honoring a fallen hero that was taken far too soon.
Captain Meyer was killed in the line of duty Wednesday from injuries suffered in a garage fire in Austin.
READ MORE | Convicted felon charged in West Side fire that killed CFD captain to be held in custody
On Sunday, 45th Ward Alderman Jim Gardiner wanted to bring people together to show love to the Meyer family.
“That’s the essence of the Northwest Side,” remarked Ald. Gardiner. “We boast a close-knit community with many first responders residing here, and our aim is to reciprocate even a fraction of the love and dedication David showed to this community.”
It’s a tragedy that has hit close to home for many in the community.
“This situation is profoundly challenging for all of us, as everyone knows someone with a parent working as a first responder. Witnessing a loss like this serves as a stark reminder that it could impact anyone in your circle at any given moment,” stated Dan Ciolino of the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce.
People of all ages grabbed ribbons and spread them across the Northwest Side.
Justice will be served… our thoughts and prayers are with the Meyer family and making sure they get through this ordeal.
Ald. Jim Gardiner, 45th Ward
Stanton is one of the volunteers who showed up today, and she said her and Meyer were longtime friends.
“Every time you saw him he had a smile on his face,” Stanton said. “He was just a genuine wonderful man. He’s gonna be so missed by so many people.”
As people prepare for Meyer’s services over the next two days, the investigation also continues into the fire that led to his death.
Chicago police arrested 44-year-old Charles Green Friday for allegedly lighting a fire in a trash bin which investigators say was the cause of that garage fire. Green has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of aggravated arson.
When investigators arrested Green on the same day of the fire, they recovered lighters, lighter fluid, burnt paper and the clothes Green was wearing when he was recorded by several security cameras. Authorities said that clothing preliminarily tested positive for accelerants.
Green has denied any involvement in setting the fire. A witness, along with Green’s girlfriend, identified him in the surveillance video.
Prosecutors said Green is a convicted felon with five prior convictions dating back to the 1990s. According to court records, he already had a warrant for arrest issued for failure to appear in court for a retail theft case.
“Justice will be served, I’m sure of that,” Gardiner said. “Right now our concern, our thoughts and prayers are with the Meyer family and making sure they get through this ordeal.”
Public visitation for Captain Meyer will take place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Malec and Sons Funeral Home in Norwood Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
The funeral service follows Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Saint John Brebeuf Church in Niles.
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