The Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad continued its investigation Thursday into the death of a 17-year-old boy in a fireworks explosion in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Vermont Knolls.
Officers responded around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to the 400 block of West 84th Street, west of the Harbor (110) Freeway, where they found the victim, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service.
Detectives determined that somebody was manipulating pyrotechnic equipment that exploded, resulting in serious injuries to the unidentified teen, police said.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics took the teen to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Members of the LAPD bomb squad cleared the scene of the blast, “seizing a large quantity of illegal pyrotechnic devices and transporting all remaining explosive materials to a safe storage location,” according to a department statement.
The LAPD’s Major Crimes Division was investigating the explosion and “the source of the illegal pyrotechnic materials that were seized from the residence.”
Anyone with additional information regarding the fatal explosion or the illegal pyrotechnic materials and devices was urged to contact Major Crimes Division Detective Allen at 213-486-7260. Calls during non-business hours or weekends should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.