A grandmother was killed by inadvertently made ‘pipe bomb’ at a gender-reveal party in rural Iowa.
Pamela Kreimeyer was struck by a piece of metal flying through the air at a home in Knoxville, southeast of Des Moines, and passed away instantly.
Kreimeyer and her family members were standing 45 feet from the device when it exploded. She was hit in the head by a piece of shrapnel which caused instant death.
Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt told in a statement provided to BuzzFeed News, “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.”
According to an investigation by the sheriff’s office, the Iowa State Fire Marshall’s Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kreimeyer and four other family members, including her daughter-in-law who is pregnant gathered outside her home to light a fuse to the makeshift explosive.
“Our investigation showed that members of the Kreimeyer family were experimenting with different types of explosive material on Friday and Saturday in an attempt to record a gender reveal that could be posted on social media for friends and family,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
“Tape was then wrapped over the top of the metal tubing, inadvertently creating a pipe bomb,” the statement read. “Instead of the gunpowder shooting the powder out the top of the stand, the stand exploded sending metal pieces flying.”
Kreimeyer’s friend Maggie Mae posted on Facebook Sunday morning after her demise.
“Just at a loss for words,” she wrote.
“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,” Sandholdt said in his statement. “My condolences go out to the family.”
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