LANSING, Kan. — A volunteer working to dispose of fireworks was killed on the Fourth of July at Kenneth W. Bernard Community Park in Lansing, Kan.
Investigators ruled that the death of 44-year-old Andy Jones was an accident. According to Lansing police, crews were disposing of fireworks following the city display when one of the fireworks that had not discharged exploded.
“As with every other show we do, volunteers and the crew go out to clean up the site,” said Lansing spokesperson Ken Miller. “Every show has fireworks that just don’t fire the first time around.” According to Miller, Jones was an experienced volunteer who knew how to handle pyrotechnics.
Event attendees had already left the park when the incident occurred.
Miller says that it’s not clear what impact Jones’ death will have on future fireworks displays in Lansing.
“It think it’s premature for us to speculate on how this is going to effect future shows,” said Miller. “If there will be future shows that’s something that will be discussed in the next weeks and months.”
The Lansing Fourth of July show was produced by a St. Joseph company called Aerial FX. They did not return phone calls from FOX 4 for comment.
