Father Runs for Help as House Fire Claims the Lives of His 3 Children

As the family mourns the loss of three young siblings, their parents are publicly grappling with very different accounts of what happened the night of the fire.

Three young siblings, under the care of their father, Joshua Kannin, died after a fire broke out at an apartment complex in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday, November 27. While authorities continue to investigate the blaze, the children's mother has publicly questioned Joshua's account of the events leading to their deaths.

Siblings Trapped as Flames Tear Through Apartment

The victims in this tragic incident are two brothers aged 9 and 10, and their 7-year-old sister. On Thanksgiving, at around 10:39 p.m., the Kenosha Fire and Police Departments (KDP) responded to reports of a structure fire.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that a house in a multi-family apartment building on 43rd Avenue was engulfed in flames. Two boys were found deceased at the scene, while their sister was airlifted to a hospital with severe burns but later succumbed to her injuries.

The children were identified as Connor, Rylee, and Alena Kannin. Their father was hospitalized for smoke inhalation, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Mother Questions Why Her Children Didn't Make It Out

Now, the children's mother, Jourdan Feasby, made a lengthy post on Facebook addressing issues concerning the incident.

Jourdan said she spent Thanksgiving morning with the three kids and later dropped them off at their father's two-story apartment. In her post, she emphasized that she is not attacking Joshua but questioned the timeline and his version of events.

She highlighted that smoke detectors had reportedly been removed from the apartment because Joshua smoked indoors. According to her, the story of how the fire unfolded does not align with physical evidence.

Jourdan noted that the children's father appeared uninjured despite being in close proximity to the flames while the children suffered fatal burns.

"My kids father said he woke up to seeing and smelling smoke. My daughter was sleeping in bed with him. Wouldn't you have grabbed your daughter out of the bed and then go to the boys room and all go see about the smoke? [sic]" she questioned.

Jourdan wondered why, even if he had gone downstairs to check the smoke and saw the kitchen on fire, he did not turn back upstairs to rescue the children.

The mother posed more questions, "My kids father said once he got to the bottom of the stairs and saw the kitchen on fire he ran outside screaming for help and knocking on doors. Would you run outside? You wouldn't call 911? You wouldn't grab the kids first? [sic]"

Jourdan stressed that anyone attempting to rescue their children from such a fire would likely have visible burns, soot, or other signs of exposure.

She also raised questions about his sister's involvement, "His sister says her brother and herself tried going in and getting them but his sister is on a steroid shot for asthma and you took all that smoke in and never got treated?"

Mother's Claims Get More Specific

Jourdan emphasized that her children's father's account does not make sense and contains significant inconsistencies. She believes that if he had attempted to rescue the children when he first noticed the smoke, they might still be alive.

She acknowledged that people often say it is impossible to know how one would act in such a situation. Still, she questioned whether any parent with multiple opportunities to save their children would have ended up with the same tragic outcome.

Jourdan insisted that if Joshua had tried to rescue their children from a fire, he wouldn't appear completely unscathed. "Mamas out there if your kids dad told you all those things above would you think he tried to save them? Would you think it adds up? I'll never understand you see smoke or a fire you grab your kids….PERIOD! [sic]" she declared.

The children's mother wondered how her daughter could have ended up with severe burns while reportedly sleeping in the same bed as her father during the fire. She expressed disbelief that he remained unharmed while her daughter had 80 percent burns.

As a mom, she stated that she is prepared to face criticism, but her priority is clarifying the events, revealing the truth, and eventually securing justice for her children.

"His family and friends can try and talk about how I was as a parent or make up lies, that's fine, I'll take that heat to get the truth out. I will not stop working with the detectives because if I had to make a guess on what happened with this was he actually wasn't home," Jourdan noted.

She added, "I'm not bashing his parenting I'm stating a truth that was told from the source. If I wanted to go there I could post videos of my children saying how 'all dad does is play video games and the house smells like smoke and yells at us mommy' That's bashing the parent but I'm not going to do that! [sic]"

Mother's Relentless Pursuit of Justice

Jourdan insists that the facts, not accusations, will ultimately reveal what happened. She asked anyone with Ring camera footage facing the home — or any cell phone videos from that night — to share it with her. She is committed to grieving her babies while pursuing answers about the circumstances that led to their deaths.

In another post, Jourdan, who stated that she had 50/50 custody with Joshua, expressed her position, "I will get that justice babies!! Mommy won't fail you!! You guys deserve at least this since mommy couldn't fix other things for you to still be here with me! 🤍."

The mother has stated her intention to cooperate fully with investigators, writing, "This is so evil and disgusting! I can't wait till everything comes to light!"

The Father's Version of Events Under Scrutiny

Joshua has also told investigators his account of events. He shared that around 9:00 p.m., Rylee and Conner went to sleep in their second-floor bedroom. He went to bed about an hour later and said Alena was still awake in the room at the time.

He noted that he awoke to what he described as unusual irritation in his eyes before heading downstairs. There, he noticed a small fire on the kitchen floor.

According to a search warrant, he said he panicked and left the apartment to seek help, leaving the three children inside as he ran to a neighbor's door. While calling for assistance, he reported shouting for the children to come downstairs.

"I opened the door (to his residence) and I heard my kids. I tried to go back in, but smoke just came at me and I couldn't see. I barely got two steps in and I had to turn back around. When I opened the door, it made it even worse," he narrated.

Cigarette Sparks Suspicion and Investigation Intensifies

Joshua also indicated that he had smoked a cigarette in the kitchen earlier that night and believed he had put it out before going to bed. First responders later found Rylee and Conner in the kitchen or dining area. Meanwhile, Alena was located either in the upstairs bedroom or near the stairwell.

The search warrant that was made public had been drafted on the night of the fire after investigators recovered a black Samsung cell phone belonging to Joshua at the scene.

Officers later searched the device as authorized, and the examination did not uncover any evidence of criminal activity connected to the fire.

As part of the broader investigation, authorities outlined that they were examining whether the fire could involve arson or potential homicide. These are requirements under Wisconsin law when establishing probable cause for a search warrant.

KPD spokesperson Lieutenant Joshua Hecker said, "As the investigation progresses, in conjunction with the Kenosha Fire Department, they will continue to methodically rule out all possible causes of the fire."

He continued, "This is a complex and evolving case, and we remain committed to a thorough, impartial, and evidence-driven investigation."

Neighbors Devastated by Tragedy in Their Community

The tragedy has left neighbors deeply shaken, with many struggling to even look at the aftermath. LaToya Cook, who lives in the same building, said, "It makes me sick to my stomach, just looking that place it [sic]. Don't want to drive past it, but unfortunately, I have to. But it's hard."

She was returning from a Thanksgiving gathering with her daughter when she realized something was wrong. She immediately noticed the strong smell of smoke and saw thick clouds filling the air.

Her first worry was for the children who were often outside playing around the complex. Cook added that she is keeping the family in her prayers as they navigate an unimaginably difficult time.

Final Goodbyes for Three Young Lives Lost

Services have since been held for the three siblings. Jourdan spoke about the children during the gathering. The children's father attended but did not address the mourners. A GoFundMe has been created to help cover funeral expenses. By the time of publication, it had raised $61,805 of its $70,000 goal.

Now, Jourdan, who had been eagerly anticipating Christmas, said the season had taken a devastating turn. She explained that what should have been a time for holiday shopping had instead become a time for planning caskets. The light her children brought into her life was suddenly gone.