Samuel Armstrong answers a judge's question in Shawano County court Feb. 5, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The teen who allegedly tossed a barrel with gasoline and diesel onto a Pulaski-area bonfire, causing an explosion which hurt more than a dozen people, was convicted Monday.
Sam Armstrong, 18, pleaded no contest to 13 counts of injury by negligent use of an explosive for the Oct. 14, 2022 incident. Sentencing is scheduled for April 11.
According to District Attorney Greg Parker, the state will recommend five years in probation and six months in jail. The defense would be free to argue for whatever sentence it deems appropriate, Parker said.
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to the Cedar Drive address in Maple Grove on Oct. 14, 2022, after multiple teens were admitted to local hospitals after the explosion.
When police talked to Armstrong, he said he had been asking someone who lives at the house “all night to throw the barrel in the fire and finally at approximately 10:50 pm, (that person) told him to “just do it.”
“After the barrel was thrown onto the fire, it was approximately half a second and the fire began shooting out. (Armstrong) indicated he backed away from the firepit and then went over to put the fire out that was burning VICTIM #4,” the complaint states.
After the fire was out, several people assaulted Armstrong, he said.
“Armstrong was asked about his alcohol consumption. He stated he consumed approximately 6 drinks. He indicated he was drinking Bush (sic) Light,” the complaint states.
The complaint then details accounts from some of the others at the party.
“Upon (the juvenile who charged) dropping the drum, Samuel Armstrong took his end of the drum and threw it into the flames of the fire. Instantaneously, I felt a really high volume of heat on my face and observed a very large eruption of flame all around me. I then observed multiple people running from the area of the fire. Multiple people were actively burning,” one witness is quoted as saying.
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department has said at least 17 teenagers suffered burn injuries out of about 60 that were at the bonfire.
Several of the victims — Benjamin Van Asten; Isaac Nelson and his parents; Brady McAllister and his father; and Brandon Brzeczkowski — also filed civil lawsuits against Armstrong, Allan Eron, and Tyler Frisch, seeking monetary damages for their injuries. No trial dates have been set in those cases.
Comments