A Maine man was killed when a “mini cannon” projectile from a fireworks display struck him during a gathering among neighbors last weekend, according to authorities.
Joseph Hennessey, 41, crumpled to the ground and succumbed to his injuries after he was rushed to a local hospital in Oxford County Saturday night, the county sheriff’s office said, according to reports.
The fireworks show was taking place at a town of Oxford home when tragedy struck.
“I heard a pretty big bang, which I thought was probably a cannon because I’ve heard them and I’ve seen them at different places that I’ve been at,” neighbor Kevin Boutin told WMTW.
“Then the fireworks stopped and then all of a sudden, the ambulance was here and the fire trucks.”
The medical examiner’s office ruled that Hennessey, a South Paris resident, was killed by a projectile that came from a mini cannon during the fireworks, the station reported.
The death is still under investigation by the Maine State Police.
The incident is one of numerous fatalities involving fireworks during the summer months, including an 8-year-old girl who was struck during a Fourth of July celebration this year and South Carolina father who was killed when he put a lit fireworks on his head last year.
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