A 17-year-old boy has died in South Los Angeles following an accident involving fireworks that occurred on Wednesday night, according to police. NBC Los Angeles reports that the incident took place in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood, where the teen was found with severe injuries and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The LAPD Bomb Squad was summoned to investigate the cause of the accident after officers responded to the 400 block of W. 84th Street.
Further details suggest the teenager was playing with fireworks in the backyard of a residence. Investigators are currently examining whether the fatal event was the result of an attempt to make homemade fireworks. In a follow-up to the grim affair, CBS News Los Angeles has confirmed that the nearby community was not evacuated, although a bomb squad was called to assist at the scene, with early indications suggesting homemade fireworks may be involved.
While the identity of the victim has not yet been disclosed, witnesses reported a loud explosion accompanied by smoke emanating from the yard of the home. "I was preparing for bed and then I heard a couple of loud noise, and I thought it probably was a gunshot and then I thought I heard it to be fireworks," Vermont Knolls resident Charles Parker told FOX LA. "It's tragic because I'm 71, so I've gotten to live a long time and for a 17-year-old not be here any longer because of negligence is kinda like sad."
In accordance with the ongoing investigation, a "Cash Game 357" fireworks box was found at the scene—a device illegal under state law and capable of firing off multiple shots, as FOX LA has reported. Further complicating the tragic event, a controlled detonation was performed by the bomb squad early Thursday after additional explosive materials were discovered on the property. With the proximity to New Year's festivities, this incident tragically underscores the dangers of handling fireworks, which are illegal in the city of Los Angeles, as noted by ABC7. Nationwide statistics cite that each year, around five people, often children, are fatally injured by fireworks, while an average of 9,100 injuries require hospital care.
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