A 26-year-old man was killed by a cannon that exploded at a baby shower.
Evan Thomas Silva of Hartland went to a baby shower on Saturday at a home in the Genesse County of Michigan. According to People, Silva was standing 10 to 15 feet away from the cannon when it exploded during the party.
At the time, Silva and his friends were partying in the backyard when the cannon exploded, shooting metal shrapnel into Silva. According to a press release, he was immediately transported to Hurley Medical Center in Flint, where he died. Authorities said the cannon was “designed to create a big flash, a loud noise and create smoke,” but it more than likely fractured after it was loaded with gun powder. The homeowner bought the cannon from an auction, and he said he’d fired it “several times” since owning it.
“The problem with things like this is when you use gunpowder, and you’re using some sort of device without regular inspections on them, you may not see a hairline fracture in that device,” Lt. Liz Rich told The New York Times. “There may have been too much gunpowder in there — that’s what our bomb squad suspects, that that’s the reason the entire thing exploded.”
People reports no charges have been filed. Police are still investigating the matter, and it has been sent to the Genesse County Prosecutor for review. Silva’s family has put together a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs. “On 2/6/21, we lost Evan Silva to a sudden fatal accident. He left behind many family members and friends who greatly miss him and are grieving,” the page read. So far, they’ve raised more than $8,000.
