Father of three dies in fireworks accident in Chicago on July 4

Earl Lory, a devoted husband and father of three, was a “very deep soul” with an intuitive understanding of other people, his family said. The 34-year-old Belmont Cragin resident loved taekwondo and Halloween and was looking forward to his fourth child, who was coming soon.

But his family is now reeling from the tragedy after he died in a fireworks accident during a neighborhood celebration in Hermosa on July 4.

On the evening of the holiday, emergency responders received a 911 call from the 3000 block of North Kostner Avenue and found Lory dead from severe head trauma. A mortar-style hand-held firework had ignited too late and caused a fatal injury, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

Since Lory’s death, his friends, family and colleagues have come together to share memories of his life and his impact on his community, said his mother, Angie Lory.

“Everyone had something special with him,” she said.

“As a mother, you only know one side of your son,” said Angie Lory. “I’m learning so much about who he was, as a teacher, as a colleague, as a co-worker, as a friend, as a mentor to others, and it brings me joy because I know so much about him now.”

Lory’s accident occurred during a unusually dangerous fireworks night Fireworks will be displayed throughout Chicago this year, authorities said. On July 4, uncontrolled fireworks were the cause of more than a dozen reported fires and one minor burn injury, according to fire department spokesman Larry Langford.

In normal years, Langford said, the city rarely has more than two or three fireworks-related fires, but this year was an anomaly.

“Often there are individuals who set off fireworks for the greater good,” Langford said. If the people setting off fireworks are not trained, “the result can be tragic.”

Lory was not the only victim of a fireworks accident in Illinois this holiday weekend. In the early morning of July 5, a 25-year-old man was found fatally injured by fireworks in Wallace Township, according to the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.

Langford cited several possible reasons for the unusually high number of fireworks accidents this year: increased use of fireworks, dry weather and the use of fireworks near vulnerable structures such as porches or garages.

Whatever the reason, the popular Independence Day pastime poses an extreme danger that is often not recognized by those celebrating, Langford said.

In 2023According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were eight deaths and about 9,700 injuries related to fireworks, with about two-thirds of those accidents occurring around July 4. Possession and use of most fireworks by consumers is illegal in Illinois.

Accordingly a report from According to financial research firm ValuePenguin, two states neighboring Illinois were among the country’s largest fireworks importers in 2022. Missouri topped the list, importing $125,849,673 worth of fireworks in 2022, while Indiana ranked seventh.

The researchers also found that over 97 percent of fireworks imports into the United States came from China.

Although many fireworks injuries and deaths are due to misuse, there are also common safety problems with the fireworks themselves, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

From a sample Of the fireworks tested by the CPSC in fiscal year 2023, 18% met consumer safety standards in some way. Violations included the presence of banned chemicals and overloading with pyrotechnic materials.

Ald. Nicholas Sposato, 38, a former firefighter, said the number of unregulated fireworks displays in Chicago neighborhoods on the Fourth of July seems to increase each year, with people using larger and more dangerous explosives.

On Independence Day weekends, Sposato now drives around his district with police officers, trying to warn his constituents about the safety risks of fireworks. “It gets worse every year,” he said.

“I was a firefighter before I became a city councilor,” Sposato said. “I see the consequences, I see the fires, I see the people getting hurt.”

Lory’s mother called her son the “best father.” He was the father of three children, ages 2, 7 and 14; his wife is expecting another little girl.

He would teach his seven-year-old daughter taekwondo and encourage her passion for the sport, his mother said.

In the week since Lory’s death, his brother Christopher Lory has started a GoFundMe campaign. Page to support his children’s future education. The page had raised over $11,000 in donations as of Friday afternoon.

“We were just a very close family and it’s going to be hard to help raise his kids,” Christopher Lory said. “I’m his only brother… I’m just trying to support his family as best I can.”

On the GoFundMe page, he described his brother as having a “smile that could fill the room with happiness.”

He talked about his brother’s love of Halloween, and the two helped their father become volunteer actors at haunted houses in Chicago. Those are some of his favorite memories with Earl, he said.

“He had a big heart for everyone,” his brother said. “He was very funny, outgoing and loved his children.”

His mother said, “He just doesn’t want to be forgotten.”