Man, 70, Dies After Firework Explodes in His Face at Beach on Fourth of July
The Plymouth County District Attorney's office said Spagnuolo 'was setting off fireworks at the beach when one exploded in his face, causing traumatic injuries'A 70-year-old man in Massachusetts has died after a firework accident on a beach during a Fourth of July celebration.
Officials from the states fire marshal's office are investigating the death of Robert Spagnuolo, who was 'apparently killed by a firework' in Wareham, a coastal town located just west of Cape Cod, according to a July 5 statement from the Plymouth County District Attorney's office.
Wareham Police received a 911 call at around 9:19 p.m. local time on July 4, stating that a person had been struck by a firework.
Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, where Spagnuolo was pronounced dead.
"After interviewing several witnesses on scene, investigators determined that Spagnuolo was setting off fireworks at the beach when one exploded in his face, causing traumatic injuries," the DA's Office wrote.
Wareham Police, state police, the State Police Bomb Squad and the Massachusetts Fire Marshal's Office are all investigating, the DA's Office added. The state's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will share the official cause and manner of death at a later time.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A number of deaths and injuries have been reported relating to fireworks amid the Fourth of July holiday weekend this year. In Iowa, the Kossuth County Sheriff's Office said that a 33-year-old man was killed on July 1 after he sustained injuries while shooting off fireworks. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead, deputies said.
Additionally, a fireworks explosion in Alabama has resulted in the hospitalization of six people.
The incident involved 'unpermitted fireworks' on a part of Lake Martin in Tallapoosa County, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.
Authorities stated that the incident involved the malfunction of a pontoon boat 'that had been modified into a fireworks platform' for a planned fireworks celebration.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


American Press
27 minutes ago
- American Press
UPDATE: Arrest made in Fourth of July shooting
Clint Mott Jr. A 20-year-old Sulphur man has been charged in a Fourth of July fatal shooting. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office spokesperson Kayla Vincent said the shooting happened at about 10 p.m. July 4 in the 1100 block of Allen Street in DeQuincy. Vincent said when deputies arrived, they found the body of 26-year-old Cortez D. Boston of DeQuincy. Another man, Clint L. Mott Jr., 20, of Sulphur, had also been shot and had been transported to a local hospital prior to deputies arrival. Vincent said their investigation revealed that Boston and Mott began shooting at each other during an altercation. A warrant was issued for Mott's arrest on Sunday. At 2:30 p.m. Monday, Mott turned himself in at the sheriff's office. He was arrested and is being booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center. Moss is charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon during a crime of violence. Judge Tony Fazzio set his bond at $900,000. The investigation is continuing and more arrests are likely, Vincent said.


New York Times
40 minutes ago
- New York Times
N.Y.P.D. Investigates the Death of an 18-Year-Old in a Bronx Precinct
The Police Department is investigating the death of an 18-year-old woman in a cell at a Bronx police precinct early Saturday, the authorities said on Monday. The woman, Saniyah Cheatham, who had been arrested on Friday, was found unconscious just after 12:30 a.m. at the station house of the 41st Police Precinct in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx, the police said. The police did not say why Ms. Cheatham was arrested or whether she was charged with a crime. How Ms. Cheatham died is unclear. Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner, said an autopsy was performed on Sunday, and a cause of death is pending. But according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the matter who were not authorized to speak about the case, Ms. Cheatham was inside her cell when, around 12:15 a.m., she hanged herself with her sweater. The department's Force Investigation Division is investigating the incident, the police said. Ms. Cheatham's friends were stunned, saying that she appeared to be in good spirits on Friday morning before attending a Fourth of July family barbecue in the Bronx. Her close friend, Ember Baez, 20, said she texted with Ms. Cheatham on July 4, and nothing seemed amiss. 'Everyone who has spoken to her recently knows she's been happy,' Ms. Baez said. 'So when I heard this happened, I called her multiple times to see if it was real, and her phone just kept going straight to voice mail.' 'It makes no sense,' she added. After Ms. Cheatham's arrest on Friday, officers brought her to the 41st Precinct, the police said. Just after midnight, officers led Ms. Cheatham into a cell, according to one of the officials. Within two minutes, she had taken off her sweater and used it to hang herself, the official said. It was unclear on Monday whether Ms. Cheatham was in the cell with other detainees, or whether anyone else witnessed her actions or the actions of the officers. At 12:40 a.m., the officers, who are required to perform routine cell checks once every half-hour, discovered Ms. Cheatham, according to the official and the police. The officers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation while waiting for an ambulance, the police said. Ms. Cheatham was taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln, where she was pronounced dead. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to for a list of additional resources.


Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Police: Four shot over holiday weekend in East Chicago, including boy, 12
A 12-year-old East Chicago boy is recovering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound he endured Friday evening – one of four people shot on July Fourth, according to East Chicago police. Officers were sent to Community Hospital in Munster after responding around 9 p.m. to the boy's shooting, which happened in the 5000 block of Baring Avenue, according to a release the department issued July 5 on its social media page. The boy's family said they were lighting off fireworks when he complained of bleeding and pain in his shoulder, it said. They took the boy to Community, where medical staff told them he'd suffered a gunshot wound, the release said. No witnesses heard any gunshots, so police believe he may have been hit by an errant bullet someone shot into the sky, the release said. Thirteen-year-old Noah Inman of Hammond was struck and killed July 1, 2016, by a stray bullet fired on the Fourth of July as he played basketball with friends. Six months later in 2017, then-State Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, proposed legislation to the General Assembly seeking to make firing a loaded gun into the air within municipal limits but without legal justification a Level 6 felony. It never received a hearing. In a second shooting around the same time, East Chicago Police were sent to the 400 block of Vernon Street, where witnesses told them an 'unknown individual' fired a weapon into a large party in the alley behind a residence, the release said. Three people were taken to St. Catherine Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. When officers went to the hospital to gather suspect information, a large crowd amassed at the hospital from the party 'refused to give officers any information,' the release said. The shootings took place about a mile from each other, according to Google Maps. Anyone with information about either shooting is asked to contact Detective Miguel Pena at 219-391-8318 or mpena@ Anonymous tipsters can also contact the department's tipline by calling 219-391-8500.