Police: Queens Man Killed After Firecracker Explodes In His Hand
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A 50-year-old man was killed Monday morning in an explosion in Queens.
Police said Theodore Ellinghouse was killed after lighting a large firecracker which exploded while he was holding it in the hallway of a home at 112-21 111th Avenue in Ozone Park Monday.
Police said the victim's father called 911 around 9:25 a.m. after feeling a huge blast in the home.
1010 WINS' Al Jones reports
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1010 WINS' Al Jones reports Theodore Ellinghouse sustained a stomach injury in the explosion. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jones reports a similar explosive device was found in the residence before the neighborhood was given the all clear.
WCBS 880's Peter Haskell On The Scene
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Police said no one else was injured in the incident.
They tell WCBS 880 reporter Peter Haskell they are still trying to find out why he had the explosive device and what his intentions were.
Authorities say the device is similar to an M-80.
A family friend says the man's twin brother and their father were home.
"They heard an explosion upstairs. The brother ran upstairs, came back downstairs, told the father," the friend told Haskell.
The friend said Theodore Ellinghouse had a history of emotional problems.
