11-year-old boy killed by firework over holiday weekend, police say

MOUNT VERNON, Ind. (WFIE/Gray News) – An 11-year-old Indiana boy was killed by a firework Sunday night, Indiana State Police said.

Camrynn Ray McMichael died from a head injury due to a firework mortar, a preliminary autopsy indicates. His death has been ruled accidental.

Troopers said Camrynn was found critically injured in a neighborhood around 9:45 p.m. Sunday and died while on the way to the hospital. They did not provide further details.

Camrynn was entering sixth grade as a student at Mount Vernon Junior High. His football coach, as well as two of his former elementary school teachers, raved about his personality and wit.

Mount Vernon Junior High Football Coach James F. Goodrich II said Camrynn was a great athlete and an even better kid.

“I mean it’s just, it’s just hard. I’m going to miss his smile, his energy, his just, you know, he was just part of us,” Goodrich said.

He said Camrynn was on the smaller side, but he was a natural-born leader who knew how to work.

“He knew that he was going to make his way by working hard and doing stuff, and that gets other kids’ respect,” Goodrich said.

One of Camrynn’s former teachers, Kamie Richardson, said his personality was one of a kind.

“Just his pure wanting everyone to just be happy,” Richardson said. “It was amazing.”

She said Camrynn was incredibly smart and always spent time helping other kids when he could.

“He was one of those kids where you start working with him and you were like, ‘Oh, I want to do better because this kid is pushing me to be better,’” she said.

Jacquelyn Cobb, Camrynn’s former fourth grade teacher, said his big heart made him such a pleasure to have in class. She said she was looking forward to watching Camrynn grow up, but that is a luxury that is no longer a reality.

“Just knowing that’s not going to happen is heartbreaking,” Cobb said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for Camrynn’s funeral expenses.

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