MALIBU—The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Department has identified the victim of the Sunday, January 17 Malibu house fire as Grant Schneider, 22. He was a student at San Diego Mesa College, who also had his own clothing line.
A GoFundMe page was set up by Schneider’s uncle, Joel Taylor, which states the accident was described as a “horrific loss [that] has been devastating for [their] family and completely crushed [Taylor’s] sister and her three daughters.” Schneider stayed at a rental house for the memorial of his girlfriend’s brother. Since there were no fire alarms, he was not alerted, and the flames and smoke spread to the house. By the time Grant’s girlfriend and her mother woke up, the flames already climbed up the walls and Grant was unable to escape. The fire destroyed the house and 4 acres, requiring a little over 200 firefighters and a water-dropping helicopter to get it under control.
Taylor described him as “a calming presence that pulled [them] together as a family. He was a playful and heartfelt uncle to [Taylor’s] son and daughter. He wanted to be an entrepreneur and to start a clothing line. Grant believed in and loved God, always spreading love and light to everyone around him. He was a very gentle soul, a peace maker, always there for others, affectionate, compassionate, loved his family deeply, and prioritized spending time with his family. He was so comforting, always offering to give a big warm hug. He appreciated and enjoyed laughter. He was so funny, and he could make anyone laugh. He was kind, charismatic, helpful and full of so much love.” He was also described as a positive person, attracting those around him.
“He loved the ocean, making beats, skateboarding, making skateboard videos, snowboarding, going to concerts, creating music playlists, going on outdoor adventures, the fashion industry, working out, volunteering to improve the environment and botanical gardens. He was a great chef, food connoisseur, and a lover of cats and dogs.”
The GoFundMe’s purpose is to pay for “medical [bills], funeral [bills], a cemetery plot, and headstone, [as well as the] loss of work for Grant’s mother and 3 sisters.” There is currently a little more than $31,600 of a goal of $100,000.
