MONTICELLO — A holiday celebration turned tragic in White County early Saturday when a 31-year-old man died following a catastrophic fireworks accident.
According to the White County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an emergency call shortly after midnight on July 4 in the 5400 block of East 350 North, located near North Shafer Drive just outside Monticello.
Upon arrival at the scene, emergency personnel located Trystin Murray, 31, who was pronounced dead from apparent massive trauma.
Investigators determined that Murray was launching heavy mortar-style commercial/consumer artillery shells when a round malfunctioned. The fatal accident occurred when Murray attempted to inspect or fix the live shell while it was still inside or near the launch tube, causing the device to detonate unexpectedly.
Fireworks-related deaths and severe trauma are most frequently associated with reloadable aerial mortar shells, according to safety reports from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Public safety officials repeatedly urge extreme caution with pyrotechnics, warning never to re-light or attempt to handle “dud” fireworks or malfunctioning explosive rounds, but rather to wait 20 minutes and soak them in a bucket of water.
Celebration of Life Scheduled
Friends, family, and community members will gather to honor Murray’s memory later this week.
A celebration of life is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at AMVETS Post 91, located at 219 Northwestern Avenue in Monticello.
Monticello is located in White County in northwestern Indiana, approximately 85 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis.
