CALAIS, Maine - One young Maine man is dead after he put a fireworks mortar on his head and set it off, according to officials.
Devon Staples, 22, died instantly, said Maine Public Safety Spokesperson Steve McCausland.
McCausland says Staples had been drinking with friends at a home in Calais, Maine, Saturday night. The incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m. EST.
Officials say this is the first death attributed to fireworks since Maine legalized them two years ago.
Investigators said there were non-fatal injuries from private fireworks incidents in the Maine towns of Friendship, Lebanon, Jefferson, Woodstock and a separate incident in Calais. McCausland said those injuries consisted of burns and eye injuries.
I read another account of this yesterday where his brother was quoted as saying, "There was no taking Devon (the victim) to the hospital. There was no Devon left when I got there".
It'd be interesting to know how many 24hour members were just a c#nthair away from winning that award at one time or another. He thought it was a dud, it wasn't. He made a living entertaining for Disney and that night he was trying to get a laugh. It was a mistake he won't get to live with. BTW, this happened in my hometown and I have friends that are pretty shook up over this, including some first responders. He was a good kid that came from a rough family. His parents have now lost 2 (3 really) of 5. One brother was murdered by another brother. Now Devon. Bad deal all around.
Mom of man who died in fireworks accident says rules too lax
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The mother of a man who tried to launch a firework off the top of his head for July Fourth and was killed instantly said Monday she's advocating for stricter controls about who can use the explosives.
Devon Staples, 22, and his friends had been drinking and setting off fireworks Saturday night in a backyard in Staples' eastern Maine hometown, Calais, when the accident happened with a reloadable fireworks mortar tube, police have said.
Staples' mother, Kathleen Staples, said she is going to reach out to lawmakers about the possibility of tighter controls over fireworks. The state should consider requiring safety training courses before allowing someone to use them, she said. She compared fireworks with other regulated items such as cars and guns.
"At least it'd be a little bit more than, 'Here you go,'" Staples said. "That's an explosive. They didn't just hand me a license and put me in the car."
It'd be interesting to know how many 24hour members were just a c#nthair away from winning that award at one time or another. He thought it was a dud, it wasn't. He made a living entertaining for Disney and that night he was trying to get a laugh.
Well, it worked. He got a laugh outta me....
Originally Posted by Dead Guy's Mom
The state should consider requiring safety training courses before allowing someone to use them, she said.
Mom of man who died in fireworks accident says rules too lax
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The mother of a man who tried to launch a firework off the top of his head for July Fourth and was killed instantly said Monday she's advocating for stricter controls about who can use the explosives.
Devon Staples, 22, and his friends had been drinking and setting off fireworks Saturday night in a backyard in Staples' eastern Maine hometown, Calais, when the accident happened with a reloadable fireworks mortar tube, police have said.
Staples' mother, Kathleen Staples, said she is going to reach out to lawmakers about the possibility of tighter controls over fireworks. The state should consider requiring safety training courses before allowing someone to use them, she said. She compared fireworks with other regulated items such as cars and guns.
"At least it'd be a little bit more than, 'Here you go,'" Staples said. "That's an explosive. They didn't just hand me a license and put me in the car."
See I started to feel a little bad after the post above then I read this. His mother is wrong and her son was dumb. Now change all the laws and take everything away because of 1 moron. No one is responsible for their own actions these days.
Just wondering about the mechanics of how it happened for anyone more knowledgeable about fireworks than me (caps and sparklers are about my level.) I wonder would the down force from a mortar cause the injury, or did the round hang up in the tube and explode prior to launching.
Any fireworks aficionados able to shed some light on this?
I never inferred it wasn't his fault, but I wont chit on his grave because he parents are reacting this way two days after their son died. Have at it if that's what you want to do.
I never inferred it wasn't his fault, but I wont chit on his grave because he parents are reacting this way two days after their son died. Have at it if that's what you want to do.
I had no desire to write my congressman/senators, whomever to ask for stricter gun control 2 days after my sister was shot in the face.
I get what your saying and agree. Some folks want to blame everybody but the guilty party. Don't know how I would react initially though if my son had his head blown off and I'm damn sure I don't want to find out. I know I wouldn't be in my right mind for a while.
It'd be interesting to know how many 24hour members were just a c#nthair away from winning that award at one time or another. He thought it was a dud, it wasn't. He made a living entertaining for Disney and that night he was trying to get a laugh. It was a mistake he won't get to live with. BTW, this happened in my hometown and I have friends that are pretty shook up over this, including some first responders. He was a good kid that came from a rough family. His parents have now lost 2 (3 really) of 5. One brother was murdered by another brother. Now Devon. Bad deal all around.
Ptarmigan, it so much simpler to just dogpile a soundbite and rush to ridicule. Actually reading the whole story and gaining understanding of the event takes a little more effort and thought. Sorry for the loss. Thanks for your post.
I'm a fairly compassionate person and am saddened when a young life is cut short. We had a couple of teen age girls that were walking on a sidewalk in the middle of the day when a drunk mowed them down and killed both of them. That was a tragedy and senseless loss. Countless kids and young adults die from cancer and that tears at my heart.
But a drunk putting and explosive on his head and blowing it off? I can't work up a scintilla of compassion for that sort of stupid savant.
I'm a fairly compassionate person and am saddened when a young life is cut short. We had a couple of teen age girls that were walking on a sidewalk in the middle of the day when a drunk mowed them down and killed both of them. That was a tragedy and senseless loss. Countless kids and young adults die from cancer and that tears at my heart.
But a drunk putting and explosive on his head and blowing it off? I can't work up a scintilla of compassion for that sort of stupid savant.
Just wondering about the mechanics of how it happened for anyone more knowledgeable about fireworks than me (caps and sparklers are about my level.) I wonder would the down force from a mortar cause the injury, or did the round hang up in the tube and explode prior to launching.
Any fireworks aficionados able to shed some light on this?
I can speak to how deep an 81mm mortar can drive a baseplate into the dirt, but I have no expertise regarding fireworks mortars. Even with a 2.5' diameter baseplate, and relatively dry soil, an 81 can drive that baseplate at least two feet into the ground, after repeated rounds fired. Of course, it's tossing a 9 lb. round out there, out to nearly 3 miles at a max charge, so you can imagine the recoil involved.
Again, I have NO expertise regarding fireworks mortars.
Well a friend fought cancer for three years, he just died and it was not pleasant, so someone being stupid with a deadly device of his own choosing does not get much sympathy from me.
I'm a fairly compassionate person and am saddened when a young life is cut short. We had a couple of teen age girls that were walking on a sidewalk in the middle of the day when a drunk mowed them down and killed both of them. That was a tragedy and senseless loss. Countless kids and young adults die from cancer and that tears at my heart.
But a drunk putting and explosive on his head and blowing it off? I can't work up a scintilla of compassion for that sort of stupid savant.
I'm a fairly compassionate person and am saddened when a young life is cut short. We had a couple of teen age girls that were walking on a sidewalk in the middle of the day when a drunk mowed them down and killed both of them. That was a tragedy and senseless loss. Countless kids and young adults die from cancer and that tears at my heart.
But a drunk putting and explosive on his head and blowing it off? I can't work up a scintilla of compassion for that sort of stupid savant.
I could not agree more.
Kids is stoopid, they do stoopid things, it doesn't mean they deserve to die for their stoopidity. I can name a few things that if I would have succumbed to my own young stupidity, would most likely garner the same reaction. Some people are acting as if they never got drunk as a teen and did stupid crap.
I'm a fairly compassionate person and am saddened when a young life is cut short. We had a couple of teen age girls that were walking on a sidewalk in the middle of the day when a drunk mowed them down and killed both of them. That was a tragedy and senseless loss. Countless kids and young adults die from cancer and that tears at my heart.
But a drunk putting and explosive on his head and blowing it off? I can't work up a scintilla of compassion for that sort of stupid savant.
I could not agree more.
Kids is stoopid, they do stoopid things, it doesn't mean they deserve to die for their stoopidity. I can name a few things that if I would have succumbed to my own young stupidity, would most likely garner the same reaction. Some people are acting as if they never got drunk as a teen and did stupid crap.
Yeah, no one said he should have died. Of course your reading comprehension has never been stellar.
I'm a fairly compassionate person and am saddened when a young life is cut short. We had a couple of teen age girls that were walking on a sidewalk in the middle of the day when a drunk mowed them down and killed both of them. That was a tragedy and senseless loss. Countless kids and young adults die from cancer and that tears at my heart.
But a drunk putting and explosive on his head and blowing it off? I can't work up a scintilla of compassion for that sort of stupid savant.
I could not agree more.
Kids is stoopid, they do stoopid things, it doesn't mean they deserve to die for their stoopidity. I can name a few things that if I would have succumbed to my own young stupidity, would most likely garner the same reaction. Some people are acting as if they never got drunk as a teen and did stupid crap.
Yeah, no one said he should have died. Of course your reading comprehension has never been stellar.
there is no common sense anymore. People play video games and have very little exposure to reality. Kid's get no exposure for the most part to knives, hatchets, matches, guns, fireworks. We have seatbelt laws and airbags. Folks die because they have a fleeting concept of physics and reality. Brandon Lee killed himself with a blank on a movie set I guess about 20 years ago, put the gun to his head with a blank in it IIRC. Teach your kids and grandkids a little reality when ever possible. We cannot assume this kid was a moron, we can know he had no idea what he was did was going to kill him.
A nine year old boy was killed in a house fire that same weekend. His sister is in critical condition. No fault or doing of their own.
A drunk 22 year old puts a firework to his head and lights it. He is also dead.
Both are way too young but I know where my sympathies lie.
Originally Posted by jimmyp
there is no common sense anymore. People play video games and have very little exposure to reality. Kid's get no exposure for the most part to knives, hatchets, matches, guns, fireworks. We have seatbelt laws and airbags. Folks die because they have a fleeting concept of physics and reality. Brandon Lee killed himself with a blank on a movie set I guess about 20 years ago, put the gun to his head with a blank in it IIRC. Teach your kids and grandkids a little reality when ever possible. We cannot assume this kid was a moron, we can know he had no idea what he was did was going to kill him.
I agree but and this is a big but. The drunk 22 year old parents are now calling for State regulations of fireworks. I may not be the brightest bulb but I never considered drinking a bunch of Nattys and lighting a mortar on my head as being a good idea. Don't need the state to tell me that. We can't reward stupid.
Kids is stoopid, they do stoopid things, it doesn't mean they deserve to die for their stoopidity. I can name a few things that if I would have succumbed to my own young stupidity, would most likely garner the same reaction. Some people are acting as if they never got drunk as a teen and did stupid crap.
Agreed, I know I did plenty of things as a teen that were flat out stupid in hindsight. I think if most people are honest about things they would say the same.
The "kid" was 22, plenty old enough to know stupid. In todays Armed Forces, there are plenty of you men of that age who carry a huge responsibilty on their shoulders and are a credit to their family and country..
Looking at the mothers statment also reinforces that "stupid" is not age related..
I'm a fairly compassionate person and am saddened when a young life is cut short. We had a couple of teen age girls that were walking on a sidewalk in the middle of the day when a drunk mowed them down and killed both of them. That was a tragedy and senseless loss. Countless kids and young adults die from cancer and that tears at my heart.
But a drunk putting and explosive on his head and blowing it off? I can't work up a scintilla of compassion for that sort of stupid savant.
I could not agree more.
Kids is stoopid, they do stoopid things, it doesn't mean they deserve to die for their stoopidity. I can name a few things that if I would have succumbed to my own young stupidity, would most likely garner the same reaction. Some people are acting as if they never got drunk as a teen and did stupid crap.
Talk about reaching
This isn't a criminal sentence, and life is not fair. As much as liberal progressives would like us to believe that there are no consequences to one’s actions and choices, and that participating is just as valuable as putting in a winning performance, it just isn’t so. I’ve shed countless tears for children I don’t know who have died through no fault of their own. I’m saddened by people who chose to take their own life when they fall into despair.
If this had been my own kid I’d certainly be saddened by the loss of his life, but instead of trying to blame others for his stupid actions, I’d be searching within myself how I’d failed as a parent.
It was an absolutely stupid beyond belief action. To considerate it anything other than that is ridiculous. There are consequences to actions and one really stupid action is often one’s last act. I’m sick and tired of this nation coddling and excusing the stupid. They should be made to understand at a young age that foolish behavior is not acceptable.
The definition of deserve is: to do something or have or show qualities worthy of (reward or punishment)
I guess I’ll be a heartless bastard to say by that definition, igniting and explosive on his head, he absolutely deserved what he got. No different than putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger and expecting something other than blowing one’s brains out.
I guess I’ll be a heartless bastard to say by that definition, igniting and explosive on his head, he absolutely deserved what he got. No different than putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger and expecting something other than blowing one’s brains out.
You don't know that at all. Where I would have no idea what exactly would happen in regards to fireworks, I would never take the chance, however NOBODY has any doubts as to what would happen when you put a gun to your head and pull the trigger. By your thesis, the kid committed suicide. I have seen some kids do some pretty dumb schitt for laughs and thrills, things you would never see a 40 year old man do.
Believe it or not, there are different degrees of ignorance. Some people don't know anything about firearms and accidently kill themselves or others. There have been cases of people thinking a gun is unloaded and jokingly blown their brains out. There was an actior that killed himself by firing a blank into his brain.
My point is whether or not one is smart enough to realize the consequences, the consequences are the same.
So what would you call someone strapping a several ounce charge of black powder to their head and lighting it off other than suicide?
Just because he was drunk and trying make others laugh doesn't in any way change the fact that his actions and his actions alone took his life.
Again I'll be the hearless bastard. Some people's purpose in life is to warn others what not to do. He achieved his purpose in life.
It'd be interesting to know how many 24hour members were just a c#nthair away from winning that award at one time or another. He thought it was a dud, it wasn't. He made a living entertaining for Disney and that night he was trying to get a laugh.
Well, it worked. He got a laugh outta me....
Originally Posted by Dead Guy's Mom
The state should consider requiring safety training courses before allowing someone to use them, she said.
Really.?
he flunked outta the boat building course at the tech college in Calais Disney was his calling
At 22 I was a Sergeant in the Marines, guarding an embassy in El Salvador, during a nasty civil war.
when I was 22 I was a young sergeant doing dismounted patrols with my fire team on the border in the area between East Germany, West Germany and Czechoslovakia out of a West German town called Hof.
and I didn't go back to maine to live when I retired from the army
some stupid mofo,s up their........................
standard procedure for approaching a non electric fused explosive is to wait for 2 minutes approach uxo and place beside it (with out touching it)a 1pd block of c-4 either dual primed with a 4 minute fuses or electric primed for command detonation
seen a e-7 and 2 e-4,s 12b types(combat engineers) in grafenwehr germany doing a explosives demo/course for our battalion during a reforger in 1986 approach a "dud" 40 pd cratering charge (non electric primed dual fused) well before the 2 minute period was done
we was all in bleachers about 600 yards away watching the demo
the guys went down their and the 1st thing the e-7 did was kick the tripod the charge was sitting on and about 6-7 seconds later the thing blew
red mist and grey/black mist all 3 basically got vaporized they found bone and flesh
needless to say our demo training was done for the rest of reforger
so stupid aint just limited to dumb young kids
buddy of mine told me about another e-7 combat engineer in bosnia that tried to disarm a anti personel mine with a gerber tool of all things
totally disregarded blow it in place with c-4 trying to be a big shot got blown the fug up.....
we had 2 e-4s attatched to us from 2/44th ada(air defense artillery)stinger teams in the assault on najaf during oif1
that found uxo it was a cbu(cluster bomb unit that did not open up into its 4 petals and wire tripcords looked like a metal softball to larry and moe(curly was probably somewhere else)
we all got plenty of briefings and classes on uxo id well prior
these 2 picked it up and decided to play catch inside a Humvee with it
kaboom blown the fugg up
bottom line is that shyt that goes kapow will kill you if you get dumb around it real fast........
![[Linked Image]](http://www.dbtechno.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Devon-Staples1.jpg)
Oh man,..that's gonna need some Salve.
