Douglas C. Carter

Douglas C. Carter (born May 24, 1986, died June 9, 2009) was a graduate student and one of the two victims of the June 9, 2009 fire at Fun Plaza in San Francisco, California.

Personal Life
Carter was born on May 24, 1986 in Antioch, California, just an hour outside San Francisco. His family consists of his mother, Wendy (born January 17, 1956), his father, John (born January 19, 1957, died July 21, 2023), and his sister Gigi (born April 3, 1988). They also had a dog named Chi-Chi (1988-2002). Carter graduated from Antioch High School in 2004 and later went to the University of San Francisco, majoring in film studies. He graduated in May 2009 as a graduate student, just a month prior to his death.

June 9, 2009 fire
Every summer, Carter and his family vacationed in San Francisco and they would make frequent visits to Fun Plaza. It became a family tradition ever since he was two years old. On June 9, 2009, he decided to go to Fun Plaza with his two friends while his family stayed at the vacation house. At around 7:46 PM PST, while playing one of the arcade games, Carter smelled smoke and quickly saw the flames shoot up the back wall. He quickly assisted his friends and other guests out of the building before completely evacuating it. However, by the time the firefighters arrived, a large amount smoke had completely engulfed his body and was pronounced dead at 8:15 PM PST at the age of 23. One of Carter's friends called Gigi to inform the family about his death and they all mourned.

Aftermath
On June 11, 2009, Carter's body was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery and Funeral Center. His death severely impacted the family as Gigi went into a large decline in both her social and academic behavior for a few months. John nearly committed suicide following the death of his son and sought professional help and therapy. In 2011, the Carter family created a charitable organization called, "Dougie's Games For All" which donates used and new arcade games, video games, and consoles for children in need.