GRAHAM, Wash. — A 15-year-old boy died while setting off ‘mortar-type’ fireworks during a sleepover in Graham.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, five juvenile boys were lighting fireworks around 2 a.m. Monday near a church along Orting Kapowsin Highway. The boys were reportedly having a sleepover together.
Deputies say the 15-year-old held a mortar tube close to his body and lit the mortar before dropping it in the tube. The mortar then exploded before leaving the tube, causing “fatal damage to his body.”
Firefighters responded and confirmed the boy’s death. Detectives, forensics, and deputies responded as well.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the family had been notified, and the four other boys were cooperative with deputies until they were released to their parents.
“This was a difficult scene to process for our first responders since the unnecessary death of any juvenile is incomprehensible. Our community is mourning for the loss of this young man,” said Deputy Carly Cappetto with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. “This is a grave reminder of the dangers of fireworks. We encourage all parents and families to have conversations with their children on the dangers of fireworks and, if not used properly, can be fatal.”
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