Just a day after a 56-year-old grandmother was killed after an explosive gender reveal announcement went horribly wrong in Iowa, authorities were called to another blast during a gender reveal party in a neighboring county.
Waukee fire and police department responded to a report of an explosion about 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the 32000 block of Ute Avenue in rural Dallas County, city officials announced in a press release.
The eruption was said to have shook homes more than two miles away and blown out a neighboring residence’s windows.
When officers arrived on scene, Waukee Fire Department Captain Tomme Tysdal says they spoke with the property’s owners and confirmed the explosion was part of a gender reveal announcement.
Waukee fire and police department responded to a report of an explosion about 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the 32000 block of Ute Avenue in rural Dallas County, city officials announced in a press release
The couple revealed they’d used a Tannerite Gender Reveal Boom Box kit successfully, without incident, and was bought legally at a local sporting goods store.
The kit contains a target that, once shot by a firearm, explodes into a cloud of colored dust – showing pink for a girl, or blue for a boy.
Though no one was harmed, Tysdal says he wouldn’t recommend people use kits like these, or any other explosives, because of the danger involved.
Just 24-hours before the Dallas County blast, 56-year-old Pamela Kreimeyer was killed in a similar explosion while taking part in a gender reveal announcement in rural Knoxville.
Kreimeyer was hit by shrapnel from a homemade pipe bomb that her family built to shoot out colored powder from.
The couple revealed they’d used a Tannerite Gender Reveal Boom Box kit successfully, without incident, and was bought legally at a local sporting goods store
Pamela Kreimeyer, pictured, was hit by shrapnel from a homemade pipe bomb that her family built to shoot out the colored powder. She died instantly, police say
A source told the DailyMail.com the party was being held for Kreimeyer’s son Brad and his girlfriend, Kirstie Rankin, who posted this image to Facebook earlier this month
It is understood the family placed gunpowder in the bottom of a homemade stand that was welded to a metal base plate. After drilling a hole in the side for a fuse a piece of wood was placed on top of the gunpowder and colored powder was placed on top of the board. Tape was then wrapped over the top of the metal tubing, inadvertently creating a pipe bomb
The explosion sent debris flying towards her home in Marion County, authorities said. She was struck in the head by a piece of metal from 45 feet away and died instantly.
A source told the DailyMail.com the party was being held for Kreimeyer’s son Brad and his girlfriend, named as Kirstie Rankin.
It is understood the family placed gunpowder in the bottom of a homemade stand that was welded to a metal base plate.
After drilling a hole in the side for a fuse, a piece of wood was placed on top of the gunpowder and colored powder was placed on top of the board.
Tape was then wrapped over the top of the metal tubing, inadvertently creating a pipe bomb.
Pam’s son Brad, pictured in his Facebook profile picture, is expecting a baby with his girlfriend
A statement from officers revealed how five family members and the expectant mother gathered and ‘placed gunpowder in the bottom of a homemade stand that was welded to a metal base plate’.
It adds: ‘A hole had been drilled in the side for a fuse, a piece of wood was placed on top of the gunpowder and colored powder was placed on top of the board. Tape was then wrapped over the top of the metal tubing, inadvertently creating a pipe bomb.
‘Instead of the gunpowder shooting the powder out the top of the stand, the stand exploded sending metal pieces flying.
‘One of these metal pieces struck Pamela Kreimeyer in the head causing instant death. She was standing with other family members approximately 45 feet from the device. It’s believed that the projectile that struck the victim then continued another 144 yards through the air coming to rest in a field.’
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the family had been ‘experimenting with different types of explosive material on Friday and Saturday’ at the home in Iowa, pictured. Police said the family hoped to post the reveal on social media for loved ones
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the family had been ‘experimenting with different types of explosive material on Friday and Saturday’ at the home, pictured
In audio obtained by KCCI an operator can be heard telling authorities: ‘You are needed…a pipe explosion that has hit a woman in the head.’
Sheriff Jason Sandholdt said: ‘This family got together for what they thought was going to be a happy event with no intent for anyone to get hurt.
‘What ended up happening was that Pamela Kreimeyer, a wife, mother and grandmother was killed by a piece of metal where a metal stand, gunpowder and colored powder were involved.
‘This is a reminder that anytime someone mixes these things there is a high potential for serious injury or death; please do not take these unnecessary risks. My condolences go out to the family.’