A 26-year-old man from the U.S. state of Michigan died earlier this week when a gender reveal party trick went wrong.
The man stood nearby a small cannon, meant to shoot colored smoke. But things went awry when the cannon blew up, sending metal shrapnel everywhere and striking the unidentified man.
The victim was rushed to Hurley Medical Center in serious condition, but the doctor’s best efforts failed to save his life.
The shrapnel also damaged three cars parked in the garage.
This story comes a few months after last September’s California wildfires, that were blamed on a Los Angeles gender reveal party. The ‘pyrotechnic device’ destroyed over 7,000 acres of land when it ignited four-foot-tall grass.
The couple that hosted the party now faces jail time, and fines to cover the multi-million-dollar cost of controlling the blaze.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire started by a device that pumps out colored smoke.
Most people use these pyrotechnic cannons to shoot blue or pink smoke, so expecting parents can announce their unborn child’s gender.
But, the woman who allegedly started this trend, Jenna Karvunidis, is now begging people to stop.
After hearing of the wildfire, she wrote on her Facebook page:
“The fire that evacuated parts of California is from a GENDER REVEAL PARTY.”
“Stop it. Stop having these stupid parties. For the love of God, stop burning things down to tell everyone about your kid’s penis. No one cares but you.”
