Davenport’s Building Collapse: Failures, Secrets, and Lessons

On May 28, 2023, a quiet Sunday afternoon in Davenport, Iowa, was shattered when the rear wall of a six-story apartment building gave way, causing a catastrophic collapse that claimed three lives and left a community searching for answers. The victims—Ryan Hitchcock, Daniel Prien, and Brandon Colvin Sr.—are remembered not only for their tragic deaths but also for the questions their loss left behind. Rescuers managed to save Quanishia White-Cotton Berry, albeit at the cost of an emergency amputation.

As the dust settled, the immediate public demand was clear: What went wrong? How could a building across from City Hall crumble without warning? Early investigations pointed to years of neglected maintenance, inadequate repair oversight, and structural vulnerabilities. Yet, two years later, the full truth remains frustratingly out of reach, buried beneath legal maneuvering and political caution.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) conducted a thorough review, enlisting forensic engineering firms White Birch Group and SOCOTEC Engineering. Their findings were damning: the collapse stemmed from the:

Despite the public's hunger for transparency, Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham declined to file criminal charges, citing insufficient grounds under Iowa law. Instead of restoring public trust through openness, Cunningham has sought to keep the DCI’s full report confidential, citing safety concerns for those associated with the building. Critics argue this secrecy only deepens mistrust. In an era where government accountability is demanded, withholding vital information stifles learning from tragedy and undermines the spirit of Iowa’s public records law, intended to keep governmental actions visible to the people they serve.

The citizens of Davenport—and the broader public—deserve more than platitudes. They deserve to know why the warnings from tenants went unheeded, what failures in building inspections may have allowed danger to fester unchecked, and how officials plan to ensure such a disaster never happens again.

As courts and officials debate the technicalities of disclosure, the moral imperative remains: transparency is essential to healing, learning, and rebuilding trust. The loss of life, the pain of survivors, and the haunting images of that collapsed structure are stark reminders of the cost of systemic complacency. Davenport’s tragedy must not be forgotten—and it must not be repeated.

The following video discusses last year collapse emphasizing on the Iowa desperate community seeking for answers on the catastrophic collapse.