Faulty reasoning signals

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By ELIOT FORCE, US NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:49 EDT, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 10:18 EDT, 8 July 2026

A young Minnesota man has died after a firework exploded in his hand during an Independence Day celebration atop an abandoned ammunition factory in the Twin Cities.

Yaseen Samir Abumayyaleh, 23, was identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office as the victim of the fatal accident, which occurred around 1.30am on Sunday.

At about that time, authorities received a 911 call about a man who was injured after a firework he was holding exploded, according to a press release from the Lake Johanna Fire Department.

It would later be determined that Abumayyaleh was holding a mortar tube containing a two-inch firework when it blew up in front of a group of 15 to 20 people.

The caller told the dispatcher that the accident happened on the roof top of The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, an abandoned ordnance factory located in an undeveloped plot of land in the northern area of the Twin Cities.

The caller added that the man had injuries to his face and chest, and that he was unconscious but still breathing.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, Lake Johanna Fire Department and Allina Medical Transport responded to the call.

First responders arrived and located the unconscious man but determined that the stairs of the abandoned factory were unusable to evacuate him.

Yaseen Samir Abumayyaleh, 23, died on June 5 after a firework he was holding exploded in his hand while he was on the roof top of an abandoned ammunition factory in the Twin Cities

Abumayyaleh was a member of the Young Muslims of Minnesota. He is pictured teaching children about Islam

A sergeant with the sheriff's office requested a helicopter from the Minnesota Air Rescue Team while firefighters provided emergency medical care at the scene.

First responders soon determined that they could use a boom lift on one of the responding fire engines to remove the man from the roof top, and the helicopter request was cancelled.

Paramedics and two firefighters transported Abumayyaleh to the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where he was rushed into surgery but died from his injuries.

The Lake Johanna Fire Department said the accident is under investigation by multiple state and local agencies.

'Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of this young man,' the fire department said in its press release.

Abumayyaleh was a member of the Young Muslims of Minnesota, which released a statement that said: 'May Allah SWT shroud him with His Infinite Mercy, grant his family sabr, and reward him with the highest levels of Jannatul Firdows. Aameen.'

Many family members and friends also shared tributes to the young man on social media.

Taghreed Wazwaz, who said he was Abumayyaleh's cousin, wrote on Facebook: 'He will be deeply missed, and his memory will always remain in our hearts.

Several friends and family members posted tributes to Abumayyaleh on social media in the days after he died. He is pictured with a friend

A man who said he was Abumayyaleh's cousin shared this photo of a huge crowd attending the young man's funeral

'Seeing so many people come to his funeral was a beautiful reminder of the impact he had on those around him,' Wazwaz added. The post included a photo of a huge crowd attending Abumayyaleh's funeral.

Firework accidents and injuries are fairly common in Minnesota, but firework fatalities are rare, State Fire Marshal Dan Krier told The Minnesota Star Tribune .

Since 2021, four people including Abumayyaleh have died in fireworks accidents in Minnesota. Michael Turner, 13, was killed in 2025, Jack Kocur, 18, in 2022 and Christopher Homstad, 47, in 2021.

Fire Chief Tim Boehlke told the outlet that all aerial fireworks or fireworks that explode are illegal throughout the state.

Boehlke added that the celebration at the abandoned ammunition factory had several young people in attendance setting off fireworks.

The fire chief said that the factory is 'a dangerous area' and that 'kids and urban explorers have been sneaking in and exploring and partying.'

The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant produced ordnance for the US military during World War II but is now abandoned. The factory is pictured in 1947

The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant was built by the federal government in the early 1940s and produced ordnance for the US military during World War II.

It ceased operation in 1976, and the land on which it sits was purchased from the government by a private developer named Mario Cocchiarella earlier this year.

Cocchiarella told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he first heard of the fatal accident when the outlet reached out, and that it has been a 'challenge' keeping people off the property, as they cut through fencing and run it over with cars.