Father and son arrested after bombing accident in Manville – NBC New York

A father and son from New Jersey are facing assault and other charges after a party accident in their neighborhood over the holiday weekend sent shrapnel flying, authorities said.

Police arrested 60-year-old Thomas Kaiser and his 28-year-old son Erich at a party in Manville on Saturday night after receiving a call about an explosion in the county’s Valley neighborhood – and at least one serious injury.

First responders treated a 34-year-old man on site for lower body injuries and flew him by helicopter to an emergency hospital.

Investigators say the Kaisers allegedly tried to set off a flare cannon, a device that produces a loud bang and a cloud of smoke when ignited. Instead, the device exploded, spewing shrapnel, authorities say.

A participant at another party suffered serious abdominal injuries in the explosion. Several houses and vehicles are also said to have been damaged.

Thomas and Erich Kaiser were released until their first hearing in Somerset County Superior Court. The two men’s lawyers initially did not comment clearly.

It’s not Thomas Kaiser’s first step into fire. He was arrested in 2019 after bringing a cooler of fireworks to a Jersey Shore bar, forcing the cancellation of a planned Labor Day parade. Thomas Kaiser was sentenced to a year of probation the following year.