Controversy lingers on 8th anniversary of nightclub fire that killed 100, including Brookfield musician

Associated Press

WEST WARWICK, R.I. Survivors of one of the nation’s worst nightclub fires and relatives of those killed are set to mark the eighth anniversary of the tragedy.

Eight years ago today, a fire at The Station nightclub killed 100 people and injured more than 200. The anniversary comes as survivors and victims’ families say the owner of the site of the fire has reneged on a promise to donate the land for a long-planned memorial.

The property owner disagrees that a promise was made.

Organizers say the memorial service will include a reading of the names of the 100 people killed in the fire followed by 100 seconds of silence.

Among those killed was band member and Great White guitarist Ty Longley, 31, formerly from Sharon, Pa., and Brookfield, Ohio. He was a graduate of Brookfield High School and Trumbull County Vo-Tech School, and left home in 1991 to pursue his dream.

Longley spent some time playing in a band in Boulder, Colo., but quit that job and moved to California, first linking up with Great White in 1999.

His first job was as a carrier for The Vindicator.

Pat Longley, Ty’s father, said in 2006 he blames city building inspectors more than the rock band manager or the club owners. He said the nightclub should not have been allowed to operate in the building