Local news outlets say that two teens in California were hurt by fireworks on Independence Day. One of them lost several fingers in the event.
The explosion happened Thursday night in Berkeley. Neighbors told KTVU that the blast may have cut off as many as four fingers on one teenager.
KTVU was told by the Berkeley Police Department that two young boys were hurt in the blast, with one getting a “significant” injury. KNTV says the other teen was close to the fireworks when they went off and got some minor injuries. He or she was not taken to the hospital.
KRON4 said that the teen who was taken to the hospital was a high school football player in his senior year at Berkeley High School who was trying to get a college scholarship. The other teen has not been named.
Soon after the event, the Berkeley Fire Department, the police, and an ambulance showed up. In a statement, the police said this “is a reminder that fireworks are illegal, dangerous, and can even be life-threatening.”
In the statement, the Berkeley Police Department said, “The Berkeley Police Department hopes that both the juveniles and everyone else involved in this accident make a full recovery.”
Neighbors who spoke to KTVU and KNTV say that about 30 teens were at the scene of the crime when some of them started setting off fireworks about an hour before anyone got hurt.
KTVU reports that the explosion happened at 9:50 p.m. and was caught on surveillance video of boys playing football in the street while fireworks went off above. The story says that during the event, a boy’s fireworks went off, making many people scream.
The teenager who looked like he or she was in pain yelled “what the f—” and “call 911!” after the blast. The other boys stopped playing football, and some ran over to help the teen who was hurt.
KNTV heard from a neighbor who said that the firework didn’t work after it was lit, and the hurt teen grabbed it before it went off. KTVU says he did this after a friend told him to put down the firework.
KTVU said that the bloody marks could still be seen on the street corner and fence on Friday.
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