‘Simply loading the wrong type of gunpowder, loading too much gunpowder in there can take an open ended cannon and turn it into a bomb.’
Police confirmed a shard from the explosion was found 25 feet from the scene.
The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad, Gaines Township Fire Department, and Med Star Ambulance attended the scene.
Three parked cars and the garage where the
baby shower was being held were also struck by shrapnel.
Genesee County prosecutors are now said to be reviewing the case.
Police said the homeowner had bought the cannon at an auction and had fired it several times before. It’s suspected that the shrapnel came from the cannon breaking apart during the explosion, police said.
Michigan man dead after cannon explosion at baby shower USA TODAY NETWORK
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DETROIT – A 26-year-old Michigan man died Saturday after a small cannon exploded during a baby shower.
A small, celebratory cannon misfired, sending shrapnel flying in all different directions, Michigan State Police Lt. Liz Rich told TV station WJRT.
The man was struck with metal shrapnel and was taken to Hurley Medical Center in Flint, where he later died.
The metal shrapnel flew as far as 25 feet, hitting three parked cars and the garage at the home in Gaines Township.
The man, identified by police as Evan Thomas Silva of Hartland, did not set off the cannon. The fuse was lit by an owner of the home, according to MLive.
Man, 26, killed in baby shower explosion after small cannon fired in backyard sprayed SHRAPNEL thesun.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thesun.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.