Iowa Woman Dies When Homemade Cannon Explodes at House Party

Iowa Woman Dies When Homemade Cannon Explodes at House Party
Illegal fireworks products are on display during a demonstration showing the possible dangers caused the explosives and the destructive force of illegal fireworks on the ground of the Washington Monument June 26, 2003 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The Associated Press
7/4/2016
Updated:
7/4/2016

GREELEY, Iowa—Authorities say an eastern Iowa woman was killed when a homemade cannon exploded at a backyard gathering.

Davenport television station KWQC-TV reports (http://bit.ly/29dxCIo ) that 55-year-old Lori L. Heims of Edgewood was flown to an Iowa City hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Department says Heims was injured at the gathering with friends in Greeley around 11:40 p.m. Saturday.

Investigators say the cannon was loaded and fired, and when it went off, the rear portion of the barrel blew out and sent fragments toward Heims. One of the fragments struck Heims in the head.

Heims was taken to a hospital in Manchester before being flown to Iowa City, but doctors were unable to save her.

Greeley is about 80 miles north of Iowa City.