A firework struck the man lighting it in the chest in front of a group of children Tuesday, police said.
Floyd Temple, 61, was lighting off various fireworks set up in his front yard around 12:30 a.m. when he lit a large mortar facing the wrong way and the incendiary accelerated into his chest, WTOL reported.
"It went off and his chest exploded, and (the kids) ran over to my house and told me about it," neighbor Rick Tuggle told WTOL. "They're probably traumatized right now. They were sitting right there on the stairs when it happened. One of my kids was sitting right there on those stairs."
Police were responding to a call about someone shooting fireworks in the neighborhood when they came upon rescue crews who were there and had pronounced Temple dead.
Temple was a beloved member of the neighborhood, WTOL reported. He had been setting off fireworks throughout the day as neighborhood children watched, WTOL reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
