NEW YORK — A firework that exploded and seriously injured the foot of a 19-year-old who stepped on it in Central Park probably was created by someone with a basic knowledge of chemistry, but not designed to intentionally hurt people, police said.
The homemade explosive that went off Sunday probably was designed to “make a large noise, maybe make a flash,” said Lt. Mark Torre, commanding officer of the New York Police Department’s bomb squad. It was like an “explosive experiment” put together by someone with some knowledge of chemistry, he said.
Police officers stand near the borders of a crime scene around the site of an explosion in Central Park, New York, Sunday, July 3, 2016. A firework that exploded when a 19-year-old unwittingly stepped on it Sunday in Central Park, seriously injuring his left foot, didn't appear to be designed to intentionally hurt people, police officials said. AP Photo/Seth Wenig
