Devon Staples, 22, Died After Setting Off A Firework On Top Of His Head

Devon Staples, 22, died on July 4th after allegedly lighting a firework on the top of his head.

Man Dies After Lighting A Firework On His Head On 4th of July

Staples was celebrating the 4th of July with friends in Maine on Saturday night when he allegedly put a fireworks mortar tube on top of his head and set it off. The firework exploded, killing him instantly. According to Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the State Department of Public Safety, Staples and his friends had been drinking when he announced his plans to set off a firework on his head.

“When he suggested he was going to do this, his friends gathered around him and they thought they had convinced him not to do it,” McCausland said.

While authorities have stated that Staples intentionally lit a firework on his head, Staples’ brother, Cody Staples, 25, insisted that it was a freak accident and that Staples was just joking around.

“It was a freak accident…But Devon was not the kind of person who would do something stupid. He was the kind of person who would pretend to do something stupid to make people laugh,” Cody told New York Daily News.

Cody, who said he was the first one on the scene, said that his brother was joking around and holding a lighter, accidentally lighting the firework. According to Cody, Staples was always trying to make others smile. He worked as an actor at Disney World in Orlando, where he lived, appearing as Gaston and other Disney figures in the parks.

“He loved it. He loved making people happy. Anyone who would want to give a tribute to Devon should go out and do something nice for someone. Show some love to someone you don’t know. That kid was all about showing people love,” Cody said.

Fireworks were legalized in the state of Maine in 2012, and this is the first fireworks-related death reported since.