KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One person died in a fireworks-related incident Sunday night, according to Kansas City, Missouri, police.
Officers were called to the scene in the 9800 block of Richmond Drive just after 9:15 p.m.
Paramedics were already there, helping a person who had attempted to light commercial-grade fireworks in an improvised mortar.
The victim "suffered a catastrophic head injury" when one of the fireworks exploded, KCPD said.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Nearby neighbor Mike Forrester said neighbors are heartbroken to hear what happened during what was supposed to be a celebratory and fun night.
"We went down and looked and there was some debris from fireworks out on the street," Forrester said. "There were lots of fireworks going off, it was quite a celebration, but it ended on a sad note."
Throughout the rest of the city, KCPD said officers responded to only minor incidents, including in the entertainment districts of Power and Light and Westport.
Officers received 163 reports of gunfire, which they will investigate "as celebratory gunfire is extremely dangerous and illegal."
—
