WAREHAM — A 70-year-old man was killed on the evening of July 4, after a firework exploded while he was setting it off at a beach in Wareham.
According to a joint statement from the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office and Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Robert Spagnuolo, of Wareham, was pronounced dead at the scene from apparent facial trauma.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:19 p.m. on July 4, when Wareham Police received a 9-1-1 call reporting that a person had been struck by a firework at 34 Beach Street. Emergency responders from Wareham police, fire, and EMS arrived to find Spagnuolo with fatal injuries.
Wareham officials contacted the state police assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, the State Police Bomb Squad, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Bomb technicians secured the scene to ensure no additional explosive hazards were present before beginning the investigation.
“After examining the area and interviewing several witnesses, investigators determined that Spagnuolo was setting off fireworks at the beach when one exploded, causing traumatic injuries,” the agencies said in their joint statement.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner accepted jurisdiction and will determine the official cause and manner of death. The investigation is ongoing.
Fireworks remain illegal in Massachusetts without proper licensing and certification due to the dangers they pose, officials said. From 2020 to 2024, there were 220 fireworks-related emergency department visits in the Commonwealth, 111 of those visits took place in June and July.
Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine noted that the state’s injury rate is approximately one-fifth the national average, largely due to strict enforcement.
