A father-to-be was killed after a device he was building for his baby’s gender reveal party accidentally exploded.
28-year-old Christopher Pekny died in the blast on Sunday, February 21, which occurred in the town of Liberty, around 100 miles northwest of New York City.
His brother, Michael Pekny, 27, was also injured in the tragic incident, officials said. He was treated for his injuries at an area hospital.
“It wasn’t meant to harm anyone,” Mr. Nevel said. “It was just an innocent prop for a gender reveal that went horribly wrong.”
“It has been two nights in a row of not being able to sleep, waiting, hoping to hear that this is all some crazy misunderstanding,” Peter Pekny, the deceased’s oldest brother, told reporters. “But we all know that’s not the reality here.”
He added, “He was finally ready to settle down and he was so happy to be a dad. He was just this big kid, ready to be a man. And this shouldn’t have happened.”
State police and a bomb disposal unit are investigating the incident, which happened in a home in Liberty, New York.
The incident comes just weeks after a Michigan man was killed at a gender reveal party that featured a canon. He was reportedly struck by shrapnel that flew 10 to 15 feet away from the canon after it malfunctioned. He later died at a local hospital from his injuries.
