Overview

• The incident occurred Monday evening at the Sandy Park Apartments near West 11th Place and South 61st West Avenue, police said.
• Witnesses reported the boy was holding the launch tube with the mortar facing his head when it ignited.
• Bystanders pulled him from the blaze and called 911 as a small grass fire burned near the complex.
• Tulsa firefighters attempted lifesaving measures on the teen, who was in cardiac arrest, before he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports U.S. firework injuries and deaths have risen about 25% over 15 years through 2022.