Posted on 07/06/2026 7:07:25 AM PDT by BenLurkin
A South Carolina family is remembering the final words of a father who was killed in a devastating fireworks accident during a 4th of July celebration.
Allen Ray McGrew died in July 2024 after a firework exploded while he was celebrating at a neighborhood block party in Summerville, located in Dorchester County.
The 41-year-old had spent the evening celebrating what his family described as his favorite holiday. Videos later shared online showed him dancing, smoking a cigarette, and wearing an Uncle Sam costume while friends and relatives laughed nearby.
Speaking to The Post and Courier, Allen’s wife Paige said he appeared to be preparing to place a large firework on the ground after holding it above his top hat.
“I thought he was just showboating before he set it on the ground. I didn’t realize he had already lit it,”
According to a police report obtained by WCBD, Paige yelled for her husband to stop, but the firework detonated before he could react. He collapsed immediately after suffering catastrophic head injuries...
Authorities said the injuries likely killed him instantly, and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:10 p.m. The incident happened at around 10:30 p.m.
The family also pushed back against online criticism following the accident, saying Allen should not be remembered as a “drunken fool.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I used to be a enthusiastic fireworks nut, but have moderated in recent decades. They pose a definite fire risk around houses, and pets and wildlife are absolutely terrified by the sounds. It is a real trauma to a lot of pets.
If you live on acreage out in the country, fine. But be at least 200 yrds away from the nearest property.
Not only ammunition in the fire, but wet, porous rocks, too. They heat up, the steam expands, and the rock explodes. It was great fun when we were kids. Luckily nobody lost an eye.
This clickbait story is TWO YEARS OLD.
“Who said he was drunk?”
He drank more than he was used to.
Likely influenced his judgement.
So what were the last words?
Somebody does this every year.
Don’t be Somebody.
Well, it’s new to me.
I don’t have a problem with most consumer fireworks. Actually, I enjoy them quite a bit. It’s the homemade stuff that gets ridiculous. These aren’t firecrackers, or bottle rockets, of even mortars. they’re bombs. They’re extremely loud and you could feel concussion from them several hundred feet away. How can you not suffer blast effects from constantly setting those off in your backyard.
Just reading the headline, I felt a certain amount of sympathy for him. It sounded as though he was an innocent bystander who inadvertently got hit by a firework launched from somewhere nearby. Then I read the article. The words of Red Forman come to mind: “Dumbass!”
“But it worked on TikTok ....”
The mortars I heard down the street Saturday night were absolutely obnoxious.
What most people fail to take into account is the adverse effect fireworks have on pets. Many are petrified and become panic stricken.
My neighbor has to sedate her two dogs every July 4th and new years.
“What percentage of the population are plainly stupid? “
Well, half of the people out there are below average. Start there.
Yes. He’s much better now and back at work.
“”I am not a fan of fireworks anyway...Not only danger such as this, but setting them off in suburban neighborhoods with close housing causes home fires...””
***
Right. I’m not much in a celebratory mood each year... since the idiots that live on the next street over set off fireworks every year from dark until early am that could, and eventually probably will, land on someone’s roof. It’s like you can’t even relax or sleep for wondering if your house is going to catch fire during the night.
Also, you have to keep your pets inside because the noise scares the hell out of them.
Fireworks are great in the proper setting. Anywhere close to my yard or roof is NOT the proper setting.
So, basically, they finished setting off the rest of their fireworks before they called 911?
In 1994 we were on the beach in Pompano one Independence Day. IIR they were setting off the fireworks on the pier.
The display was delayed. Eventually they started going off. We could tell there was a worker seemingly lighting them by hand.
Next thing you know there is an explosion ON the pier and the fireworks guy is flying through the air with flames coming out of his chest.
It seems that the electrical system they usually used that night failed. They decided to set them off manually. One went off - I think it fell over - and shot the worker in the chest, killing him.
Haven’t enjoyed fireworks much since.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1997/04/03/pompano-fireworks-to-be-off-coast-not-pier-after-94-death/
Nope
This was years before AI, so I’m sure it was real. I don’t know that video is still out there somewhere.
There should also be a warning saying: DO NOT INSERT INTO RECTUM.
I absolutely keep my pets indoors on the 4th. Can’t imagine what it does to the wildlife, especially birds.
What you saw was an attempted reenactment of a stunt from one of the Jackass movies.
There’s stupidity like that all over the internet.
Fireworks are no joke......problem is people shooting Fireworks coincides with two major alcohol consuming holidays.
A lot like guns, Fireworks and alcohol don’t mix.
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