A man was killed after setting a fireworks mortar tube on top of his head and setting it off during a Fourth of July party in Maine. At approximately 10 p.m., Staples launched the fireworks off his head and died instantly in front of his friends.
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Police say the friends had been drinking.
The tube Staples was using was a reusable mortar shell but said McCausland said investigators did not know what type of firework he was attempting to shoot.
Staples’ death is the first fireworks-related death since fireworks became legal two years ago, according to state police.
According to a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, Staples was celebrating the 4th of July at a friend’s house in the town in eastern Maine on the Canadian border. They included burns and eye injuries, McCausland said.
The Maine fire marshal’s office is investigating the incidents and is expected to have a list compiled later Sunday, McCausland said.
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In 2011, lawmakers voted to repeal a 1949 law banning fireworks, reasoning the industry would create jobs and generate additional revenue.
