Crime & Law

Man Killed in Chicago Handling Fireworks on Fourth of July

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Fourth of July celebrations turned deadly as a 34-year-old man was killed while handling a firework Thursday night, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Officers were called to the 3000 block of North Kostner Avenue at approximately 10 p.m. The man sustained “massive trauma” from the “delayed ignition of a mortar device,” according to a statement from the Chicago Fire Department, and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Chicago firefighters also responded to at least 13 fireworks-related fires on Thursday, the department added.

Fireworks are illegal in Chicago, but scores of DIY displays light up the city every Independence Day. Nationwide, a movement is growing to replace explosives — gunpowder is the main ingredient in fireworks — with drone displays.

There were no fireworks-related fatalities in Illinois in 2023, but 108 injuries were reported to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. Mortars are the most frequent type of firework involved in injuries.

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]

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