Firework show turns ‘catastrophic’ when one misfires into crowd of 500, Nevada cops say

A firework exploded in a man’s hand and went flying through a crowd of 500 people, Nevada police said.

One man in the crowd was struck by the firework, and it punctured his lung, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said. He is in critical condition.

The man was part of a crowd of 500 people watching a firework show north of Reno on May 29. The show turned “catastrophic” after the firework went hurling into the crowd, the sheriff’s office said.

Initially, deputies were responding to a report of shots fired.

“One man was standing in front of a crowd of approximately 500 people on top of a rock outcropping,” deputies said in a news release. “The man lit a firework, which exploded in his hand. The firework then traveled through the crowd, striking another man in the chest.”

The man who was holding the firework had “major deformities” to his left hand after it exploded, the release said. He was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition.

People in the crowd rushed to help both of the injured men. Deputies said their actions may have saved their lives.

“Without their help, the prognosis of the injured men could have been worse and potentially fatal, they provided care that may have saved their lives,” Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said in the news release.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the incident.

This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Firework show turns ‘catastrophic’ when one misfires into crowd of 500, Nevada cops say."