A father died in front of his children during an Independence Day fireworks accident in Gage Park, Chicago, reports say.
David Griffin, 42, was lighting fireworks in an alley along with his children, his wife told ABC7. When he checked on a firework that appeared to be a dud, it blew up in his face as it shot into the air, said police.
“The fuse went off and it seemed like everything was going, and then the fuse sort of died, and he stuck his head over it and it went off,” said Daniel Saenz, a witness to the incident.
He suffered injuries to his head and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital. He was pronounced dead 20 minutes later, officials told ABC7.
There were no other injuries in the accident.
Griffin, who worked as a security guard, always looked out for his family and friends, a neighbor said.
“It’s dangerous around here. When there would be drive-bys, he’d come out and protect us. He was protective over this neighborhood,” upstairs neighbor Fernando Sotelo said.
“From what I know, he was a good father. He would spend a lot of time with his kids,” he added to CBS Chicago.
The Chicago Tribune reported that two other people were injured in fireworks-related accidents in Chicago.
