Guest killed at baby shower after expectant parents fire cannon that explodes

Pieces of the cannon flew as far as 25 feet and hit three parked cars and a garage.

Feb 8, 2021

This weekend, a joyous occasion took a tragic turn after a cannon fired during a backyard baby shower exploded and fatally struck a Michigan man in the chest.

According to the Washington Post, Saturday evening Evan Thomas Silva of Hartland was killed outside a home in Genesee County’s Gaines Township. The 26-year-old was then taken to Hurley Medical Center in Flint, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Michigan State Police say family members had gathered for a baby shower, and approximately four or five people were present at the time of the incident. But Silva – a friend of the family who was standing approximately 10 to 15 feet away – was the only attendee struck by shrapnel.

According to the Detroit Free Press, metal shards flew as far as 25 feet. Pieces of the cannon also hit three parked cars and a garage, but no one else was harmed from the explosion.

“(It was) similar to a signal cannon. The cast material exploded and sent projectiles in all directions,” explained Michigan State Police Lt. Liz Rich. “The homeowner reported it had been shot several times. If there aren’t regular inspections on a device like this, the cast material can wear away.”

A still image from a video of a gender-reveal explosion in Arizona that sparked a 47,000-acre fire in 2017 (Photo: U.S. FOREST SERVICE / AP)

Phil Sheridan, CEO of Sheridan Arms in Saginaw Township, also told local news affiliate ABC12 that “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.”

“He has left behind a loving family, countless friends and memories in all of our hearts,” his brother, Phil Silva said on Facebook on Sunday.

“The cannon is designed to create a big flash, a loud noise and create smoke,” state police said in a news release. “The cannon did not contain any projectiles, but it is suspected that the gun powder loaded into the device caused the cannon to fracture, resulting in shrapnel being spread in the area.”

Law enforcement says the homeowner bought the cannon at an auction and that it had been fired several times before without issue. But it’s suspected that the shrapnel that killed Silva came from the cannon breaking apart during the explosion.

In September 2020, a California couple led a misguided gender reveal celebration, which resulted in a monster fire that burned through nearly 10,000 acres and forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate indefinitely.

Blogger and originator of the “gender reveal” idea, Jenna Myers Karvunidis, regrets inspiring the now popular trend, especially since it has led to property damage and injured people.

“”It’s just become a bit of a nightmare,” Karvunidis told NPR in July 2019.

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