Gilbert police this week released surveillance video and are asking for the public’s help to identify three people who ran from a backyard after a firework exploded and injured five children. The blast happened around 10 p.m. on Saturday in a neighborhood east of Greenfield Road and left families shaken.
As reported by Arizona’s Family, the department says the device was thrown into the backyard of a home along Ocotillo Road near Freeman Farms Road during a social gathering. Police say the explosion injured five children and that surveillance footage captured three people running from the area immediately after the blast.
Police Ask for Tips and Evidence
Anyone with information is asked to call the Gilbert Police Department’s non-emergency line at 480-503-6500 or submit an anonymous tip online, referencing case #26-122095. Per the Town of Gilbert, investigators routinely review video and photos to help identify suspects and encourage residents to check home security recordings for anything that could aid the probe.
Not the First String of Incidents
This episode fits a pattern of firework-related attacks in Gilbert in recent years, including other reports of fireworks being thrown at homes and a barn fire that officials have tied to similar activity. ABC15 has reported that officers have repeatedly asked neighbors to come forward with video when those investigations are opened.
Safety, Law and What to Watch For
State law (A.R.S. § 36-1606) sets the statewide rules for permissible consumer fireworks and the windows when they may be used; local officials warn that aerial mortars and similar devices are high-risk and illegal for consumer use. For local guidance, the Town of Gilbert posts consumer fireworks safety information on its fire prevention page and reminds residents to dial 9-1-1 for emergencies and the police non-emergency line for suspected illegal activity.
Gilbert police say the three people in the footage have not yet been identified and the investigation remains active. Anyone with footage or information is asked to call 480-503-6500 or submit an anonymous tip referencing case #26-122095.
