Man killed by mortar-style fireworks in Westerly. What we know.

Mark Reynolds, Providence Journal
·1 min read

Westerly police are investigating the role fireworks may have played in the death of a 39-year-old man Sunday night.

David Ziegenfuss was killed in an incident involving the use of a mortar-type firework at a home on Pound Road where he was staying, said Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella.

No further information was available, Gingerella said Thursday.

Rhode Island legalized some types of fireworks in 2010, but many remain illegal, including fireworks that shoot rockets or mortars, like these confiscated in a 2020 drug raid.
Rhode Island legalized some types of fireworks in 2010, but many remain illegal, including fireworks that shoot rockets or mortars, like these confiscated in a 2020 drug raid.

What are mortar-style fireworks?

Mortar-type fireworks launch out of cylindrical tubes.

They were associated with most of the 11 fireworks-related deaths that took place in the U.S. 2022, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Man killed by fireworks in Westerly, Rhode Island