A father was killed and his two teenage children were injured after a hand grenade detonated Saturday evening at their home in Northwest Indiana.
The explosion happened about 6:30pm within the Lakes of the Four Seasons gated community, south of Gary, Indiana.
Police say the family had been sorting through their grandfather’s belongings at their home when they discovered the hand grenade.
A family member is believed to have pulled the pin causing the grenade to explode.
Law enforcement discovered an unresponsive man at the scene, who was later identified as 47-year-old Bryan Niedert. He was pronounced deceased by the Lake County Coroner’s Officer.
An Indiana father was killed and his two teenage children were injured by shrapnel after a hand grenade exploded at their home
Police responded and found 47-year-old Bryan Niedert unresponsive after the explosion
The cause and manner of death his death are pending the results of an autopsy, which is set to take place on Monday, according to the coroner’s office.
On Sunday, detectives were ‘looking into whether the device may have self detonated due to its age or other factors, whether the pin was pulled or whether any other circumstance may have been involved,’ according to deputies.
According to ABC 7, an unknown person pulled the pin inside the home and it exploded.
Niedert’s two children, an 18-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy sustained shrapnel injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Concerned about the possibility of other explosives, authorities then called the Porter County Bomb Squad to secure the area and conduct further investigations.
The Bomb Squad were on scene to secure the area and conduct further investigations into what led to the explosion
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Homicide detectives and CSI unit were also involved in the investigation.
‘Coroner David J. Pastrick and staff of the Lake County Coroner’s Office would like to express our sincerest condolences and prayers to Bryan’s wife and family,’ the coroner’s office said in a statement.
‘Thank you to all law enforcement agencies for their quick response and assistance with this tragic circumstance.