<body><div><div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox" scrolling="no" src="https://w3.mp.lura.live/player/prod/v3/anvload.html?key=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" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div></div><p> Police are searching for a man who <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/man-tosses-lit-firework-into-silent-disco-crowd-in-hermosa-beach-video-shows/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> threw an exploding firework </a> into a large crowd at an LGBTQ+ Pride event in Hermosa Beach. </p><p> On June 17, the suspect was near a silent disco event at a bar/restaurant called Vista around 9:45 p.m. when he pulled out a firework, lit it and threw it into the crowd. The incident was captured on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuADC_hrEOT/?img_index=2" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> a video shared by police </a> . </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> Fragments of fireworks struck multiple people at the crowded restaurant, located at 11 Pier Ave., police said. Despite the “significant explosion,” victims’ injuries were not life-threatening. </p><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/06/anaheim-police-dept.-20.png" rel="nofollow"><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2FhPb8_0nAoKzeD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2FhPb8_0nAoKzeD00" width="900" height="506" ></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Video released by the Hermosa Beach Police Department shows a man throwing a lit firework into a crowd on June 17, 2023. (Hermosa Beach Police) </figcaption></figure><p> Jeremy McDermott, the manager of Vista, said hundreds of people were attending the event celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and Pride month when the explosion went off. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> “We had 400 people already here,” McDermott said. “It was pretty rough and a rude awakening for everyone enjoying a silent disco here. It was an unfortunate event. It’s something we do here every month.” </p><p> The suspect, accompanied by two other men, fled on a gas-powered beach cruiser bicycle after tossing the explosive. The bike has a fuel tank under the handlebars and an American flag near the back tire. </p><p> The suspect appears to be in his late teens or early 20s and was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt with yellow vertical stripes, dark pants and a red, white and blue helmet. </p><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/06/snapshot-6-14.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=13zMSR_0nAoKzeD00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=13zMSR_0nAoKzeD00" width="900" height="506" ></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Video released by the Hermosa Beach Police Department shows a man throwing a lit firework into a crowd on June 17, 2023. (Hermosa Beach Police) </figcaption></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> “Based on some of the video and the nature of the explosion, it was a pyrotechnic-type firework,” said&nbsp;Captain Landon Phillips with Hermosa Beach Police. “I would say it was like a cherry bomb or an M-80, probably a little bit larger.” </p><p> Police said they are now looking into the possibility of the incident being a hate crime. </p><p> “It was a silent disco and it was a Pride event,” said Phillips. “Had it detonated close to someone’s face or something more sensitive it could have caused serious injury. So we are investigating this as a crime and, more specifically, as a potential hate crime.” </p><p> While the motive remains under investigation, Phillips noted that reported hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community have seen a troubling increase. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> “We are doing everything we can, but it is concerning that these are on the rise,” he said. </p><p> A new report issued by California’s Attorney General reported hate crimes <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/hate-crimes-targeting-californias-gay-community-rose-by-29-in-2022-report-says/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> targeting California’s gay community </a> saw a sharp increase. </p><p> According to the “ <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/lgbtq/report" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> State of Pride Report </a> ,” between 2021-2022, there was a 29 percent increase in hate crimes against the gay community and a 55 percent increase in hate crimes targeting transgender people. </p><p> As the investigation remains ongoing, police said the suspect could face felony charges. </p><p> “It could be a felony because this is a potential of very serious injuries to the crowd, combined with the enhancement of a possible hate crime,” Phillips said. </p><p> Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Hermosa Beach police at 310-318-0360. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><i> Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. 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Mountain View, CA

Police are searching for a man who threw an exploding firework into a large crowd at an LGBTQ+ Pride event in Hermosa Beach. On June 17, the suspect was near a silent disco event at a bar/restaurant called Vista around 9:45 p.m. when he pulled out a firework, lit it and threw it into the […]