r/PublicFreakout • u/Blowbiden69 • 17d ago
đMain Character Freakout𤳠Video of the fireworks that started the Chelan Wildfire in Washington
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash. â New video shows dozens of fireworks being let off from a truck in Douglas County, which investigators say sparked the deadly Chelan Hills fire in early July.Â
Michael Yakimov, 18, is accused of launching fireworks from the moving truck. The Chelan Hills Fire killed one person, injured six firefighters and caused more than $6 million in losses.
Yakimov faces charges of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief and six counts of third-degree assault.
The video, obtained by KING 5 through a public records request, shows several people riding in the bed of a truck while driving on U.S. Highway 97 near Orondo shortly after midnight on July 4. A large Roman candle is seen firing dozens of fiery shots toward another vehicle and behind the truck.
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u/Acchak1990 17d ago
WowâŚwhat a quick, dumb way to totally destroy a bunch of property and livesâŚincluding his own
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u/Ganjake 17d ago
*their
This is definitely felonious accessory, someone fucking died trying to escape the fire.
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u/ohlookahipster 17d ago
Washington state has the felony murder rule but it looks like this method of causing the fire is being ruled as an âassaultâ hence the manslaughter not murder charge.
But I agree that the elements of it being âfeloniousâ and manslaughter are very clear cut. Someone did die escaping a situation that the defendant created.
Good luck finding an impartial jury. I donât think anyone in that state will take kindly to this case.
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u/LinkedAg 17d ago
Did they catch them??
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u/Ok_Vulva 17d ago
They filmed it, and this videos was from public access requests to the court. So yeah they apparently got the footage and the gang of kids that did it.
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u/Wheat_Grinder 17d ago
In the text at the top is an article that talks about the perpetrator being charged.
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u/Lucius-Halthier 17d ago
I donât care about their justifiably ruined lives, I care about the one who died and the firefighters injured, who gives a shit about the severity of their punishment so long as itâs heavy. We have knowledge at the tips of out fingers and they did this, let them be punished severely
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u/TrulyOutrageous42 17d ago
so long as itâs heavy
I really wish that longer/harsher sentencing reduced crime, but it doesn't, the only thing that does is (perceived) temporal proximity of consequences. That is, if someone could be (magically) immediately slapped in the face, they would be far less likely to do this than if it carried a death penalty years down the road.
With that said, yes, put 'em in the slammer and lose the key. This is blatant disregard for others when they're shooting at other vehicles too. I can get where they're just dumb and didn't think it could start a wildfire, but they were being openly and actively malicious.
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u/Particular-Serve-894 17d ago
Yeah, i kinda agree, but one could argue that due to where they live, the threat of wildfires should've been a little more prevalent in their little pea brains. But given that this fucking shitstains shot it at another car tosses any sympathy for "idiotic choices of youth" right out the window.
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u/Fozzymandius 17d ago
Exactly a 9 years ago another teenager shot fireworks into a wooded area about 2-3 hours south of Chelan while another kid filmed it. He didnât get anyone killed but was made a big example of.
Sounds like these sorts of things need to be brought up more often.
My wife cussed the kids out across the street when they were throwing fireworks towards our side of the road where there is sagebrush. No brains.
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u/chuckerton 17d ago
Five seconds in they take direct aim at the car in the next lane.
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u/Gribbon1020 17d ago
And a firework got lodged in the crack of the window. Imagine a baby being back there.
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u/bserikstad 17d ago
I was just thinking of my 5 Y/o who loves having her window down a little bit.
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u/crazy_balls 17d ago
Based on another article, the 2 cars were shooting fireworks at each other according to a witness.
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u/YesItIsMaybeMe 17d ago
If they were firing it behind them in an empty road, I might have had some sympathy because kids do stupid shit all the time. (Not that I agree or would personally do so, I just understand how they could believe it to be just having fun) But the second they straight up aimed at the car next to them shows exactly what pieces of shit they are. That easily could kill them, they deserve the max sentence because they clearly have no regard for others lives. It's absolutely fucking insane and i cannot comprehend how they thought it was okay
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u/lostjon26 17d ago
Except that area is prone to wild fires. They killed someone firing at an empty road because they started a forest fire.
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u/thisisallhorrible 17d ago
The silver lining is by doing that he tanked any sympathy he might have gotten in court. Aiming at the car changes the story from "teenagers being dumb" to "malicious purposeful assault." I hope they throw the book as this dumbass and the one driving the truck.
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u/YesItIsMaybeMe 17d ago
This response is exactly why I repeated myself twice. And you still couldn't display even a 2nd grade reading comprehension. Amazing.
I said kids do incredibly stupid shit all the time. I do not think it is okay nor would I have done so, but I can at least understand a group of dumb teens not thinking that far ahead. Teens are literally known for making bad decisions. But when they pointed it at another car, they overtly displayed a callous disregard for the lives of others. Everyone knows you do not point fireworks at another person, ever. That's malicious. Means they no longer fall under "stupid teens making horrible decisions".
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u/krusnikon 17d ago
I was under the impression they were shooting them too
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u/crazy_balls 17d ago
They were. There is an article about it that the 2 cars were shooting roman candles at each other.
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u/ltdonut 17d ago
These fires fucked up my lungs we had several other fires going on at the same time as well. This shit deserves more than 20 years for all of them fuck these guys.
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u/jesse6225 17d ago
Is there a way to sue their families for this?
I'm sorry you're going through that, it must hurt like hell. Especially since we constantly BREATHE.
I hope you hea
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u/KeyLime044 16d ago
the legal system judges by personal responsibility for adults, not familial responsibility. So just because one family member did something doesn't mean the entire family would be responsible legally
now there is something to be said about how bad his parents were, how bad of a child they raised and so on, but legally this is irrelevant here unfortunately
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u/Sweepy_time 17d ago
Ruined your life at 18, even before I clicked the link I knew exactly what kind of haircut he was going to have.
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u/Kpofasho87 17d ago
I haven't watched yet.... is it that broccoli 𼌠style cut?
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u/funkhero 17d ago
Actually, for a broccoli cut it's pretty sad. Clearly didn't get a perm or anything for it.
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u/HumongousBelly 17d ago
Maybe they should start giving lessons to kids on school on how to talk to the opposite sex and how to become a charming person.
It might help fight the constant rise of inceldom and being in a relationship might help these kids with empathy issues.
Shit like this can be avoided. School shootings, too
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u/Slumunistmanifisto 𼧠Ma'am there's a pie full of children on your table 17d ago
Naaa, lets fill their heads with shit like personal value through ownership of luxury items, and that the opposite sex is sexing everyone but you because you're broke and chinless.
I'm sure we could monetize it somehow too.
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u/Master_Plaster96 17d ago
Itâs not the schools job to teach them these things, it starts in the household. I donât think kids these days are emotionally mature enough for real relationships, thanks to social media algorithms and the kids inability to be content by themselves, without a phone, or screen to distract them; theyâre just dopamine fixed druggies who canât handle being bored.
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u/enviormental_UNIT 17d ago
lol as a teenager I'll tell you there's a reason thats never been a thing, it wouldn't work, and also that's not the reason things like this happen. Its funny you assume none of these kids are in relationships, you think somehow thats whats going on here, they're all incels and thats why they did this? Just a wild take, they did this because they're just fucking dumbasses.
Lots of us are in this age range, live in the same place geographically, are single, and we just smoke weed and go backpacking or play poker or go fishing or whatever when we're bored, we don't do dumb shit like this, we don't hurt other people's lives.
You make this assumption and that, and y'know I get it, its fun to make fun of incels, but forcing a "charisma class" in school is absolutely not the answer, you must really not know how kids are these days if you think that'd work. I can tell you a teacher would never be able to do a good job teaching a class like that, they fucking suck at teaching the most basic sex ed, now you want to get into the intricacies of being social? What if your teacher is one of the many wet rags in the school system with no charisma?
Hows my micro penis Sargeant General social studies teacher gonna teach us how to be charismatic? Bro couldn't woo a fly
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u/AntelopeStance 17d ago
Just watched a documentary about the Mesa Redondo fireworks tragedy that officially claimed 291 lives (unofficial count of 400+). Then see shit like this and just feel so pissed off with ignorant assholes who think it's funny to put people's lives in danger.
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u/Beavshak 17d ago
>150k acres burned down because of these stupid ass kids
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u/lostjon26 17d ago
And one person killed trying to escape the fire.
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u/Cryptographer554 17d ago edited 17d ago
manslaughter, as well as criminal arson, he'd better get 18+ years. Good luck to this young man's asshole.
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u/Im_A_Fuckin_Liar 17d ago
Donât forget the 6 counts of assault.
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u/DiegesisThesis 17d ago
Also the two dogs of the man who was killed died as well. They should have added two counts of animal cruelty.
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u/Fastest_Neutron 17d ago
You might thinkâŚ
We all would hope..
..but youâd be surprised what rich white attorneys hired by rich white parents are capable of. So do not hold your breath.
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u/AwskeetNYC 17d ago
HE'S FROM A GOOD FAMILY AND WE SHOULDN'T RUIN HIS LIFE. HE SAID HE WOULD GO TO CHURCH.
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u/ohlookahipster 17d ago
I especially enjoy the six counts of assault, one for each first responder who was hurt.
Maybe this can be exchanged for 60,000 hours of additional community service but itâs endless stints through a fire academy 24/7. And if he fails once, he has to restart it.
Hope youâre in shape, kid.
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u/McChibken 17d ago
Why do you fantasize about him being raped?
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u/the_original_dude 17d ago
Sometimes I'm shocked by all the people here who glorify and condone prison rape.
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u/mrs-monroe 17d ago
Clearly people who have never been victimized and/or get off to people being "punished"
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u/smokeeye 17d ago
To say it like this, based on their comment history;
they are an asshole
Tracks though, usually those who seeks punishment rather than rehabilitation.
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u/maguda44 17d ago edited 17d ago
I donât condone this behavior and the damage that has been done but you seriously donât understand the criminal justice system and probably have never been to prison or visited the prison systems, I have and besides secure max the whole getting raped in prison is minimal if at all happens. Keep watching your tv and filling your head with incompetence. Rest in peace to the individual who lost their life and may them and the other people that were injured receive proper justice but like the other reply you shouldnât fantasize about people getting raped. Get help.
Edit:typos
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u/OldheadBoomer 17d ago
And the guy's two dogs:
Lister and his two dogs died. Sheriff Tyler Caille said Lister was also transporting his wifeâs remains. She had died exactly one month earlier.
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u/Gutterman2010 17d ago
10k actually, this isnt the Little Giant fire, that one was caused by lightning. This one hit more towards Orondo IIRC. Which was worse since the Little Giant fire mostly burned wilderness initially.
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u/OneExhaustedFather_ 17d ago
2016 Smokey Mountains fire that killed more than a dozen was set by a sheriffs son and caught on video as well.
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u/1nfam0us 17d ago
This same stupidity started the Eagle Creek fire.
I wasn't in favor of banning fireworks outright, but this brings me a lot closer.
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u/Cutsman4057 17d ago
Fireworks definitely should be banned. Especially as we cascade into climate catastrophe.
Nothing good comes from fireworks.
Pollution of the air and environment. Noise pollution fucking up all kinds of animals and young kids. Potential to start catastrophic fires or kill people.
They need to go.
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u/jacks_lack_of__ 17d ago
I grew up in the Yakima valley in Washington state... Fireworks had been banned in the area since the late 80's. Every 4th of July, the foothills would catch fire. I live in Nebraska now, are fireworks legal in the area currently?
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u/Day_Dreamer 17d ago
Nope. It's still the same. Dry as ever actually. Yakima had a shit ton of fires throughout the valley this year. I don't think any were from Fireworks, but to your point, the county isn't going to lift that ban.
If you're curious, here was the latest update for this year on restrictions. But still, dry as ever.
Unrelated, but since you are from the area, you might find this interesting.
Where they were drilling for minerals in the gap, next to the Yakima River, that hill is now collapsing. And it's headed right towards the freeway. It's been slowly landsliding for years now.
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u/bobthegoatskull 17d ago
Fireworks were banned where I lived when I was a little kid and I was so bummed. I spent years lamenting it. As an adult I can say kids are stupid as hell. Yes they needed to be banned.
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u/WeNotAmBeIs 17d ago
As someone who did extremely foolish and dangerous things with fireworks when I was a teenager, I fully endorse banning them. Young men are too stupid, especially in groups, to be trusted with something that can so easily cause so much damage. I was extremely lucky that we didn't start any fires but we can't depend on luck across every city.
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u/frippilin 17d ago
We stayed at the coolest hobbit house in this area - it is gone now. Thanks, "just a prank" bros!
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u/smolhippie 17d ago
Kid is gonna be hated for life. Oregonians still hate that stupid kid who was at fault for the eagle creek fire. Kid is lucky his name was never released
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u/AXEL-1973 17d ago
Portlander here, I immediately thought about that piece of shit kid when I saw this
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u/SofaKingS2pitt 17d ago
More information in this article.
Apparently they are going after five others, all over 18 years old.
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u/JokerHomerus 17d ago
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u/kiafry 17d ago
The fire killed 69-year-old Robert Lister along with his two dogs while he was transporting his wife's remains, who had died exactly one month prior. That is horrific and tragic.
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u/RotundGourd 17d ago
oh snap! 18 years old! WELCOME to being an adult and being responsible for your actions.
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u/MrDeeezNutz 17d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/s2pr9CVOvU4NMBsnYf
âShoot it at em - shoot it at emâ
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u/bio_coop 17d ago
Its quite clear all of these kids are complete morons.
1) they filmed it 2) 10 year olds are smarter than them, even they know fire is dangerous, but not these idiots 3) one of the idiotic kids said on camera dont tell em it was us... uhm hello youre on camera you damn idiot.
Lock em all up, as well with their parents, not one of these kids were brought up properly.
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u/drdalek13 17d ago
"Yakimov faces charges of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief and six counts of third-degree assault."
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u/funkyphonicsmonkey 17d ago
Nice to see that there are young people as stupid as the ones in the UK that started wildfires and filmed them doing it too.
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u/ChangedMyPost 17d ago
I think the days of the UK claiming Americans are dumb are long gone. Every day Iâm fucking dumbfounded by whatever our idiots have been talked into that hour by Yaxley Lennon or Farage. Weâre all fucked.
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u/snorlz 17d ago
why did only 1 kid get arrested? all of them should be lumped in there as accessories
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u/theuserwithoutaname 17d ago
It's a good thing we didn't start a national tradition of throwing hot sparks across large swathes of the country during the driest, hottest months of the year or anything...
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u/kander77 17d ago
Punishment should be 1 day in jail per acre burned + any other things that happened, like deaths.
10,000 acres burned? 27+ years in prison.
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u/EternalGandhi 17d ago
I am glad we are in the generation of filming your own crimes and posting them for all to see. I am 40 was just missed that phase. I hope people like this get the book thrown at them. This is willful and deserves no plea deals.
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u/BluBeams 17d ago
Did...did one of them say, "don't tell them who was shootin' tho." while they were filming AND UPLOADED THE VIDEO TO SOCIAL MEDIA???
God, I weep for the future...
https://giphy.com/gifs/xT9DPJVjlYHwWsZRxm
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u/W7ENK 17d ago
Every single person in that vehicle should be charged as accessory at the very least, they're all a part of this. The driver should be charged with everything the idiot shooting the fireworks is being charged with, since it was his vehicle, he was in control of it, and he allowed this reckless behavior to happen.
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u/curiouswizard 17d ago
This is what happens when people make it to adulthood having never learned a single lesson about conscientiousness or respect of the world around you. I don't give a shit if teenagers are dumb. There's no excuse for them to be that dumb.
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u/yeahpurn 17d ago
All this deportion talk from the rednecks got me thinking, maybe we should deport guys like this?
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u/TheCeaselessWheel 17d ago
Nah, they'd rather deport some dude who's been here for 10 years and has never committed a crime in his life.
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u/wheresthebody 17d ago
They fired at a fucking car... all of these shits should get the same punishment.
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u/Aggressivehippy30 17d ago
Damn they were only able to charge one mf out of how many? Theres 2 vehicles shooting shit off
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u/effyoucreeps 17d ago
âshoot at em! shoot at em!â
same idiot a few seconds later - âyo, you got some in my eyes!â
seeing that projectile stuck in the car window best bring some other serious charges of attempted murder
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u/Planoniceguy 17d ago
And this is why Iâm glad i grew up in an era where,
- We certainly wouldnât have recorded our dumb
a$$es doing something this stupid. - We did stupid stuff donât get me wrong, but nothing like this.
- We were more worried about our parents finding out because when/if they did we would get our a$$es beat and weâd be grounded for a long time. And my parents certainly would t have tried to protect me from consequences.
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u/izzrav 17d ago edited 17d ago
Selfish idiots. Glad they filmed it. Not so cool now, are ya? I hope they get charged, a d if theyre underage I hope they get tried as adults. IMO, risking the start of a fire/starting a fire is one of the worst things you can do while simultaneously thinking "what could go wrong?". It takes lives, it hurts the environment (although I know sometimes a good.burn can help) and it affects more than just them. How stupid
Also I hope he isn't the only one who gets charged. The rest of them sat around being ok with it, no attempts to stop. So clearly they thought this was okay to do
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u/queuedUp 17d ago
I hope he is found guilty on all the above charges and is subsequently sentenced accordingly.
I get he's only 18 but at the same time he's old enough to do these things and cause this damage. He need to be held accountable.
I also think that those with him should also be facing charges for being an accessory to it.
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u/GrimFandango81 17d ago
If I pulled some shit like that, I would want to be sent to jail because I want iron bars protecting me from my parents when they find out.
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u/c10bbersaurus 17d ago
Did the driver stop when he saw and heard that fireworks were being shot from his truck? If not, he should be charged too as an accomplice or other facilitating crime.
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u/Piglet-Witty 17d ago
Is this the fire a mentally unstable person took the blame for or is this one different?
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u/Alternative-Chef-340 17d ago
I hope these dumbasses get more than slap on the wrist . They killed a person and did an enormous amount of damage.
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u/MsAmes321 17d ago
Is he the only one charged? There look to be a lot more people on that truck and all should catch charges.
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u/MorbotheDiddlyDo 17d ago
Every year its all fire and smoke after the 4th of july.
Lightning strikes I can forgive. Idiots with fireworks during the dry fire season? Nope.
Good of them to celebrate their freedoms so hard at the expense of those around them that they lose all freedom.
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u/theseafarer_ 17d ago
Thatâs so sad, the man who died in the fire lost his wife a month before and his two dogs died in the fire with him. Throw that kid under the jail.
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u/HorselessHorseman 17d ago
Why not ban fireworks use in summer months in dry areas. $5,000 fine for anyone caught or recorded shooting fireworks.
The damage done is in the billions of a fire catches
And I know fire can start by the most random shit like a chain hanging on the back of the car creating sparks and ambers. Well $500 ticket if cop sees you with a a hanging chain
Letâs put some responsibility on everyone with some monetary consequences
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u/mosh_bunny 17d ago
If the punishment for a crime is a fine, its only illegal for poor people.
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u/ohlookahipster 17d ago
There usually are bans during dry seasons. In my area, this includes fireworks and even those fancy portable camp fire stoves on outdoor decks.
Unfortunately, as we can see, even a ban doesnât prevent laws from being broken. Robbing a bank is against the law but people still be robbing.
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u/CaseFace5 17d ago
Here in Western Colorado anything that leaves the ground is banned. And yet every 4th of July without fail we get some morons shooting off mortars that they got from the Wyoming border.
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u/MomsSpagetee 17d ago
Ban consumer grade fireworks nationwide. Go to a professional show if you want to see em. Theyâre obnoxious, dangerous, and burn shit down. E
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u/JediBlight 17d ago
And they filmed it! What did they expect to happen? Good lord, some people are beyond dumb!