CHICAGO — A vigil is being held Saturday for the three women who died during an early heat wave in a Rogers Park apartment complex last weekend.
The bodies of Janice Reed, Dolores McNeely and Gwendolyn Osbourne were found at the James Sneider Apartments.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to reveal a cause of death, though many people WGN News has spoken to said apartment management did not turn on air conditioning when temperatures soared last week.
The management allegedly miscited a city ordinance, saying they believed they could not turn on the air conditioning until June 1.
The air conditioning was finally turned on last Saturday, the same day the bodies of Reed, McNelly and Osbourne were found. Some units in the building had temperatures over 100 degrees.
Maria Hadden, the 49th Ward Alderwoman, said there is no requirement to keep air conditioning off until June 1.
“Our ordinance is very clear and says you have to provide temperatures of 68 (degrees) through June 1 and they do address heating and no where says they have to have the heat on until June 1,” Hadden said.
Hadden plans to introduce a two-fold resolution in City Council on Monday, wanting a hearing held regarding the deaths while requesting the presence of apartment residents and management.