With fireworks season in full swing across the city, law enforcement is warning residents to avoid directly confronting individuals who are illegally setting off fireworks.
“Please do not confront anybody that is illegally discharging fireworks,” said police spokesman Mitch McCoy during a recent press conference. “Not only does the discharge of fireworks create an inherent danger, but we have discovered that some individuals are armed and willing to use their weapons. In certain situations, the problem extends well beyond fireworks alone.”
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McCoy referenced a troubling incident, previously covered by SLM, that occurred on June 14 at LaSalle Park. A resident who attempted to stop individuals from setting off fireworks on the 900 block of Rutger Street was shot by a firearm. The case remains under active investigation.
This shooting marked the culmination of a chaotic week in LaSalle Park, during which residents endured five consecutive days of roving fireworks battles among youths, who fired rockets at each other and at nearby homes. Despite repeated police calls over the five-day period, officers did not arrive until June 12, when they arrested 48-year-old Zach Chasnoff—one of the residents who had been pleading with police to intervene.
Prior to the Rutger Street incident and Chasnoff’s arrest, residents had grown convinced that a Chevy Silverado was making twice-weekly visits to LaSalle Park to illegally distribute fireworks to local youth. Neighbors had captured photographs of the vehicle as recently as the previous week.
McCoy indicated that the St. Louis Police Department learned of the truck approximately ten days prior, and an investigation is ongoing. However, because SLM published details about the truck in its earlier reporting, “they probably won’t be going back there,” McCoy stated. “We’re essentially starting from scratch with this investigation.”
He pointed out that illegal fireworks vendors frequently operate in the city by selling from the back of U-Hauls or renting temporary space from other retailers, as fireworks sales are prohibited within city limits.
“Every Fourth of July, our officers stop multiple unauthorized fireworks operations, and we anticipate this pattern will persist,” McCoy stated.
LaSalle Park resident Ben West expressed frustration with the police’s delayed response. “I can’t fault the police for arriving so late to the situation,” he told SLM via email. “The residents and I feel compelled to take action ourselves to stop the fireworks sales since the police department does not appear to view this as urgent.”
West further noted that the truck had passed through neighborhood surveillance zones multiple times, and its license plate was certainly captured on camera.
McCoy explained that the department prioritizes emergency calls, with fireworks violations receiving lower priority than serious violence or injury cases. However, on Independence Day, the department will deploy a specialized “firework detail” to handle related calls. “When you contact 911, please provide as much detail as you can—this allows us to respond more effectively to your report,” he advised.
