Alcohol a factor in woman's cannonball death, authorities say

[Iron Jon]

Southern California -- this just in

March 6, 2012 | 10:35 am

Authorities said the cannonball that struck and killed a 33-year-old woman in San Diego County was homemade and that alcohol was involved in the incident.

The woman's husband and another man were working on a cannon shortly after midnight outside the couple's mobile home when it exploded, according to a Cal-Fire spokesman. One of the two men was sent to the hospital with minor injuries.

The incident is being investigated by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Few details were immediately available, and it's unclear exactly what killed the woman.

The incident occurred in a mobile home park in Potrero on the Mexican border.

[Iron Jon]

Woman killed by cannonball while 4-year-old slept nearby

A 4-year-old was sleeping in the mobile home struck by a cannonball that killed a 33-year-old woman in San Diego County, officials said.

The incident, which is being investigated by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, took place when the woman's husband and another man were working on a cannon shortly after midnight outside the couple's mobile home and it exploded, according to a Cal-Fire spokesman.

One of the two men was sent to a hospital with minor injuries, but the 4-year-old was not hurt, officials said. A Cal-Fire spokeswoman said the woman's husband was "freaking out" after the incident.

Authorities said the cannonball was homemade and that alcohol was involved. The mobile home was located near rural Potrero in eastern San Diego County.

[Captain Jim]

First, my sympathies to the victims. Damn shame.

Second, they seem to be using "cannonball", "cannon" and the implicit "shrapnel" interchangeably. So what hit the victim? And why the hell to people seem intent on making "home-built" cannon and blowing themselves up? Don't they have the internet to see how often this happens?

Edited March 7, 2012 by Captain Jim

[Iron Jon]

Updated: Tuesday, March 6, 9:10 PM

SAN DIEGO — A man was arrested Tuesday after a homemade cannon blasted through his mobile home, killing his girlfriend in a remote mountain community near San Diego, authorities said.

Richard Fox, 39, shot the cannon after loading it with fireworks powder, said San Diego County sheriff’s Sgt. David Martinez. His 38-year-old girlfriend was found dead from shrapnel wounds when authorities arrived at the home.

Fox was treated at a hospital for shrapnel wounds to his right leg and arrested for investigation of exploding a device resulting in death, Martinez said. Three other adults and a 4-year-old girl who were inside the home escaped injury.

Edited March 7, 2012 by Iron Jon

[Hawkyns]

OK, so since he was treated for shrapnel wounds himself, it's sounding more and more like this was a case of explosive breaching of the tube itself. Idiots will continue to do this crap and give us all a bad name.

Stands on soapbox-

Yet another case that will be used to hammer cannoneers and reenactors, even though we had nothing to do with it. The pirate community really needs to settle on a standardised set of rules that we all sign on to and gives us credibility when the rules monkeys try to shut us down.

Hawkyns

Master Gunner