Grandfather says he fired cannon many times over the years

By Jeremy Pawloski | The Olympian • Published July 07, 2007

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The man who fired a cannon that exploded at a Fourth of July party, killing an 8-year-old boy, told investigators that he had fired it “many times over the years without a problem.”

The cannon had been lit by the grandfather of Devan Vyborny, 8. Evidence suggests that the explosion was the result of an accident, authorities say. “The evidence is pointing more solidly toward a tragic accident than any criminal wrongdoing,” Thurston County Chief Criminal Deputy James Chamberlain said.

The grandfather has said he thinks metal fatigue contributed to the cannon malfunctioning during the party at his home in the 6800 block of 105th Avenue.

“He said he’d used it many times in the past on Christmas and the Fourth of July,” Chamberlain said.

There is no evidence that fireworks or any other projectiles were loaded into the cannon, Chamberlain said.

Chamberlain said investigators will ask the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to look at the cannon’s remains to determine what caused the explosion.

Investigators haven’t determined whether metal fatigue — the weakening of metal over time because of use — or something else was the cause, he said. Devan died of blood loss after shrapnel struck him in the chest, severing his aorta, Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said. The aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the smaller arteries in the rest of the body.

Warnock said the shrapnel that struck Devan was “a very small piece.”

Devan was standing about 100 feet behind the metal cannon when it exploded. He was the only one struck of the 16 people — including seven children — who were at the party. Shrapnel flew more than 200 feet, according to the sheriff’s office. The boy’s family is cooperating with the investigation, Chamberlain said.

The grandfather has said he purchased the cannon more than 20 years ago at a garage sale in Colorado, Chamberlain said. The cannon was 12 to 14 inches long before it was destroyed, the man told investigators.

The man has described the cannon as an antique, but investigators do not know its age, or where or when it was manufactured, Chamberlain said.

Cannons are readily available over the Internet, according to cannon-mania.com. The Web site advertises “worldwide shipping” for the 150 cannons for sale.

Jeremy Pawloski covers public safety for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5465 or jpawloski@theolympian.com.