Memorial service set for family of four who died in Independence Ridge apartment fire
A celebration of life has been planned for Saturday, February 8, in honor of the family of four who died in a catastrophic fire at the Indy Ridge Apartments in Independence on Jan. 22.
DeVante McShann, 32; Katelyn McShann, 28; Bella Edwards, 8; and Aaliyah McShann, 3, all perished in the fire.
Funeral rites will be held at the Church of the Four Corners at 14300 E. US Highway 40, in Kansas City. Friends of the couple and their children will be received from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. A memorial service is schedule to at 11 a.m. Attendees are asked to wear bright colors in honor of Bella and Aaliyah, or Chiefs gear in honor of DeVante and Katelyn.
The family lived in a neighboring unit to the third-floor apartment where the blaze began as a cooking fire shortly before 6:00 a.m. Another resident of the Indy Ridge apartments had left something cooking unsupervised on the stove, then fled their apartment when they encountered the grease fire in their kitchen, leaving the front door open.
The fire ultimately spread to two floors of the apartment building plus the attic and roof, displacing 32 residents and leaving the building uninhabitable.
DeVante was born and raised in Kansas City, according to an obituary shared by relatives. A devoted family man, DeVante was a huge fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and loved music and WWE wrestling, according to the obituary.
DeVante is survived by his son, 7-year-old DeVante McShann Jr., who was with his mother at the time of the fire. Like Katelyn, DeVante worked multiple jobs to support his children, most recently at MAA Denton Pointe apartments in North Kansas City.
“His family and friends meant the world to him and he will be dearly missed,” the obituary reads.
Katelyn McShann, née Zielinski, was born in Blue Springs and lived in California for many years before returning to Missouri. Katlelyn and DeVante met through DeVante’s nephew, fell deeply in love and married in July 2023 after a whirlwind courtship.
“You could tell, looking at when they were together, that there was love,” DeVante’s sister Lolita McShann previously told The Star. “He loved her; she loved him. There was no question about it.”
Katelyn worked as a medical assistant at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence. Also a “die-hard Chiefs fan,” she loved spending time with her family and had an interest in photography, according to the obituary.
“She could be described as strong, independent, joyful and nurturing,” the obituary read.
Bella Edwards was a second-grade student at William Yates Elementary School in the Blue Springs School District. She loved school and family dinners and shared her father’s love for music; she was learning to play the guitar she received two Christmases ago.
“She had a zest for life and a smile that would brighten everyone’s day,” the obituary reads.
Bella is survived by her father, Andrew Edwards.
Aaliyah McShann, a lively child who loved singing, dancing and the kids’ television program Cocomelon, was close with her family as well as her classmates at Shee’s Babes Homecare.
Relatives described Aaliyah as “the brightest star in the room” and said she took after her father and was extremely close with her sister.
“She was shy until she got to know you and then watch out, she could smile and giggle like no other,” the obituary reads.
A fundraiser benefiting the McShann’s memorial and funeral services, as well as assisting Katelyn’s mother Jennifer Zielinski with postmortem legal expenses, raised just over $63,600 as of Friday afternoon.
Previous reporting by Laura Bauer and Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this article.
