A mysterious barrage of fireworks exploded without warning in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend, surprising many residents.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to calls of possible fireworks in the area around 10:45 p.m., said department spokesman Mike Lopez. When officers investigated, he said, they found no evidence of fireworks “or if there were, no one was arrested.”
What caught nearby resident Derek Bowe Jr. by surprise was the boom he heard before the succession of fireworks Sunday night.
Bowe, who lives on the border of Historic Downtown, Civic Center and Little Tokyo, was sitting on the rooftop of his building listening to music when fireworks began going off around 10:40 p.m.
“I literally thought something had hit a building and missiles were being fired because of the sound,” Bowe said.
“So I was relieved, bewildered and irritated when I saw that they were fireworks and not missiles,” he said.
Bowe said he doesn't have a problem with fireworks, but he does have a problem when they go off late at night and “at that intensity, it's a little excessive considering it wasn't a holiday.”
Rich Windisch, who saw the fireworks near downtown Los Angeles, said hearing random explosions is not entirely uncommon in the area. He thought the deafening noise was a car accident.
“Then the noise of the fireworks went on and on, so I went to the window to watch it,” Windisch said.
The fireworks lasted about five minutes, he said, but what felt “off” about the incident was that the fireworks weren't choreographed like they normally are during a show.
Windisch said it seemed like many of the explosions were happening at the same time, “which made me think it was an accident that they happened.”
