NEW YORK – 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.
The homemade gadget was like an “explosive experiment” that was probably designed to “make a large noise, maybe make a flash,” concocted by someone with a basic understanding of chemistry, said Lt. Mark Torre, commanding officer of the New York Police Department’s bomb squad.
There was no evidence that the explosion was related to terrorism and there were no specific, credible threats on New York for the weekend, the officials said.
The 11 a.m. blast on the east side of Central Park could be heard for blocks.
Mayor Bill de Blasio sent out a tweet reminding people to stay safe around fireworks: “Fireworks are fun — but let’s leave them to the professionals.”
