Police officials believe a homemade firework likely caused a blast in New York City's Central Park that seriously injured a man who stepped on it.
#BREAKING : man suffers severe leg injury in explosion in #CentralPark . Unclear what happened. #anc7ny pic.twitter.com/AiYfka2C5j
— Josh Einiger (@JoshEiniger7) July 3, 2016
The commanding officer of the New York Police Department's bomb squad tells reporters Sunday there's no indication it was made to harm people.
Mark Torre likened the explosive to an experiment that an enthusiast with a rudimentary understanding of chemistry could build from household materials.
Investigators don't believe the injured 19-year-old or his friends took part in constructing the explosive. They're asking anyone with information to come forward.
Officials say the injured man is undergoing surgery on his left foot at a hospital. He's in stable condition.
They say police dogs are canvassing the park for possible explosives.
The NYPD's bomb squad and police were investigating the circumstances of the explosion. Mayor Bill de Blasio sent out a tweet reminding people to stay safe around fireworks.
"Fireworks are fun — but let's leave them to the professionals," the mayor tweeted.
