Three teen boys killed in fire were students at P.E.I. schools

MONTAGUE, P. E. I. — Police have released the identities of three teenage boys whose bodies were found after a fire on the weekend in an abandoned building in Charlottetown.

They are Joseph Reeves, 19, Brandon MacKinnon, 16, and Kenneth Irving, 15.

A Prince Edward Island School Board said Monday that the two younger boys were students at Montague Regional High School and Montague Intermediate School.

The English Language School Board posted statements of condolence on the websites of the two schools.

The school board said another young person, who was injured in the fire, is also a student at Montague Regional High School.

His name has not been released and police have not been able to interview him yet at a Halifax hospital because of his injuries.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but police said they do not suspect foul play. Bad weather and the condition of the building are hampering the investigation by fire officials, police said.

Deputy Chief Gary McGuigan of the Charlottetown Police Service said now that the identities of the youths have been confirmed, the focus of the investigation changes.

“The investigation will now focus on determining a timeline of events and activities on the four youths leading up to this tragic event,” he said in a statement.