Man killed in house explosion on 28th Street

Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read
Lafayette firefighters seen on scene in the 100 block of South 28th Street where a house exploded about 2:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. One person inside was rushed to a local hospital and later died from his injuries.
Lafayette firefighters seen on scene in the 100 block of South 28th Street where a house exploded about 2:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. One person inside was rushed to a local hospital and later died from his injuries.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A house explosion about 2:25 p.m. Friday rattled windows in the 100 block of South 28th Street and killed Michael Bannon, who was inside the house making fireworks.

Initially, paramedics rushed Bannon to a Lafayette hospital, and he was flown to an Indianapolis area trauma hospital, Brian Alkire, Lafayette assistant fire chief for fire prevention, said Friday from the scene.

Tippecanoe County Corner Carrie Costello confirmed that Bannon died in Marion County.

Bannon was making fireworks in the basement of the house, when something sparked the explosion, Alkire said.

After the initial response into the house by firefighters, the authorities barred anyone from entering into the house until the Tippecanoe County Bomb Squad made sure the house was safe, which took several hours. During this time, nearby residents were asked to evacuate as a precaution, according to Lafayette police.

Once inside the house, the bomb squad found an unknown white substance in the basement, Alkire said.

That powdery residue prompted Lafayette authorities to request help from agents from the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and a bomb tech from the FBI, Alkire said.

They determined the substance was not a threat and disposed of it for the city, Alkire said.

Investigators believe Michael Bannon was making fireworks in the basement of this house in the 100 block of South 28th Street when something sparked an explosion. Bannon later died from his injuries suffered in the explosion.
Investigators believe Michael Bannon was making fireworks in the basement of this house in the 100 block of South 28th Street when something sparked an explosion. Bannon later died from his injuries suffered in the explosion.

The explosion caused police to close the 100 block of South 28th Street during the investigation and drew the attention of neighbors.

“I heard a really loud bang. It even shook the windows in our house," said Randee Bush, who lives across the street from the house that exploded.

She looked out her front windows after the explosion.

“I seen a lot of white smoke. I seen that the windows were blown off the front of the house,” Bush said.

"He’s actually remodeling it," Bush said, explaining Bannon owned the house that exploded but rented it. "He’s renovating it, trying to get somebody to move in. That’s what he’s doing at the time.”

The explosion was not from natural gas, Alkire said Friday afternoon — early in the investigation.

The investigation also led police to a home in the 2100 block of Crestview Court, where hazardous material was found, according to Lafayette police.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Man killed in house explosion on 28th Street