A man died following an explosion that occurred at a baby shower in Michigan over the weekend, according to Gaines Township authorities.
“A small cannon device that was fired in the backyard of a home by the homeowner blew up, spraying metal shrapnel that struck an unidentified Hartland man who was standing nearby,” the Associated Press reported.
The victim was transported in serious condition to Hurley Medical Center in Flint where he passed away Sunday.
“Three parked cars and the garage where the baby shower was being held were also struck by shrapnel,” the outlet said.
Law enforcement officers later identified the man as 26-year-old Evan Thomas Silva.
“Police said the cannon did not have a projectile and was designed to create a big flash, smoke, and a loud noise. It had been fired multiple times before the baby shower with no issue,” Click on Detroit reported.
Authorities believe the gunpowder loaded in the device made it fracture and spread shrapnel all over the area.
“The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad, Gaines Township Fire Department, and Med Star Ambulance assisted troopers at the scene,” MLive.com reported.
A similar instance occurred in October 2019 when an Iowa woman died after being struck by debris from an explosion at a gender reveal party, according to Breitbart News.
“The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement the explosion took place at a residence in Knoxville, Iowa, around 4 p.m. Saturday during a party to announce the gender of an expecting couple’s baby,” the outlet stated.
Authorities said an explosion during the announcement caused the death of the 56-year-old woman when a piece of debris hit her.
In September, a firefighter died while battling a wildfire that was reportedly sparked at a gender reveal party in California.
“The California Fire Department (Cal Fire) said ‘a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used during a baby’s gender reveal party’ started the initial blaze,” according to Breitbart News.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.