GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Editor's Note: The story below contains mention of death by suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.
It has been close almost two years since nearly two dozen residents of the Potomac Oaks Condominiums were displaced by an explosion.
On November 16, 2022, investigators say Juan Pablo Quizon, 36, took his own life setting off a chain of events that caused an explosion at the Potomac Oaks Condominiums. The explosion left 14 people injured but only the 36-year-old man was killed.
Montgomery County Department of Police's then-Chief Marcus Jones said in 2022 that investigators have no reason to believe the man intended for anyone else to be hurt.
Just days after the first anniversary of the explosion, the 21-page final investigation report was released, but only after WUSA9 pressed both the City of Gaithersburg and Montgomery County for answers on the one-year anniversary of the explosion.
"I just want to be settled. We all just want to be settled," said Michelle Conklin-Kusel.
Conklin-Kusel is one of the nearly two dozen people who were displaced by the explosions. She's also the secretary for the Potomac Oaks Board of Directors and the liaison between Potomac Oaks and Toepfer Construction Company.
She told WUSA9 that the company has told residents they hope to be completed with the rebuild by June 2025. On Monday, WUSA9 stopped by the scene of the explosion and found construction well underway.
"There's visible progress now. You can see walls being built. They've installed plumbing they've installed electrical," said Conklin-Kusel
But, she says this journey has not been easy for any of the residents.
"Living in this in-between time has been really hard," she explained.
She says it's opened her eyes to some concerning things.
"When this occurred we got a lot of thoughts and prayers. I have a sticker on my notebook of my dissertation note, it crosses out the words thoughts and prayers and says policy and change," said Conklin-Kusel.
She told WUSA9 that one change she'd like to see is to the current law when it comes to homeowners insurance. It is not a requirement for homeowners to have it in Maryland.
"There are serious gaps in the law," she says, adding "There's no recourse, no money to get from deceased. There's no estate, because there's no homeowners policy."
She says this needs to change.
"If you share walls with others you need to have homeowners insurance whether or not you have finished paying for your home," said Conklin-Kusel.
She also told WUSA9, her advice to anyone watching, would be to make an emergency fund.
"However much you think you've got in savings it's not enough," she said, "This is gonna happen to other people it's just the way of the world. learn from our experience."