More than a year after a fireworks explosion tore through the historic Choctaw Nation Capitol Grounds and killed a 22-year-old man, federal prosecutors have charged one of the men connected to the fireworks operation with second-degree murder in connection with Ely Smith's death.
Federal prosecutors charged Guthrie with second-degree murder, making a false statement and improper storage of high explosives, according to News 9. Two other men connected to the fireworks operation, Niel Hance and Samuel Cornell, are also facing federal charges. Hance was charged with involuntary manslaughter, making a false statement, making a false entry, and tampering with an official proceeding, while Cornell faces charges of making a false statement, making a false entry, and tampering with an official proceeding, per News 9's reporting.
The charges against Hance and Cornell for false statements and tampering point to a deliberate effort to mislead investigators during the federal origin-and-cause probe, the same 5NEWS report notes. Federal agents from the ATF investigated the scene after tribal Lighthorse officers were first to respond to the fire.
A Deadly Night Before a Major Holiday Celebration
The explosion happened on July 2, 2025, one day before the Choctaw Nation's scheduled Boom in the Valley fireworks show, according to News 9. Smith and several others were helping prepare fireworks for the event when something sparked inside a cabin where the explosives were being stored, igniting a blast that critically injured three workers and sent two others to hospitals for treatment.
Smith suffered third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body along with broken legs in the explosion. He died six days later, on July 8, 2025, as Hoodline previously reported.
Survivors Faced Months of Recovery
Cash Collins, a close friend of Smith's, was also critically injured in the blast.
Keys Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Brad Lewallen, who was assisting with fireworks delivery at the tribal grounds when the explosion occurred, suffered third-degree burns across 70 percent of his body. Lewallen required multiple skin grafts during a two-month period of care, including two weeks in inpatient rehabilitation, according to INTEGRIS Health, before his discharge on September 23, 2026. Two other people were treated at hospitals and later released, News 9 reported.
Regulatory Standards Central to the Case
Hance Pyrotechnics, the Tahlequah-based contractor involved in the explosion, provides fireworks displays, and its lead operators are licensed in Oklahoma or Arkansas, according to Hance Fireworks. Its website lists city celebrations and tribal events among the occasions it serves. Guthrie faces a federal charge of improper storage of high explosives.
The blast also rippled beyond Tuskahoma. The City of Jenks canceled its 2025 Boomfest celebration after Hance Pyrotechnics operators were injured at Tuskahoma, according to KTOK.
Civil Litigation Runs Parallel to Criminal Case
Separate from the criminal charges, North Star Mutual Insurance Company filed a federal civil suit in February 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma against Guthrie, Hance Fireworks LLC, and Hance Pyrotechnics LLC, seeking judicial relief over policy liability stemming from the blast, according to court filings tracked on Justia Dockets. That case remains pending in the same federal district now handling the criminal prosecution.
The explosion took place on the historic Choctaw Nation Capitol grounds, where the annual Boom in the Valley fireworks show was scheduled to take place.
