After a home at Black Jack near St. Louis exploded Fridaykilling four people including three teen, police found the victims were assembling fireworks in a garage, for the black market. A 12-year-old child was also injured in the explosion by a falling brick. Two of the four killed lived in the home. Two men – Terrell Cooks, 37, and Seneca Mahan, 43 – were arrested. They admitted they made explosive devices designed to make a loud bang and bright flash. Terrell Cooks wasn’t at the house when it exploded. But several witnesses told police that he was one of the “leaders of the manufacturing process” in the garage.
The men directed younger people on how to load the canisters and attach a fuse for lighting. Authorities found large quantities of “completed explosive weapons and components to manufacture them.” Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives uncovered evidence that numerous boxes of a chemical compound had been ordered online. The two were charged each with three counts of second-degree murder and several other charges including unlawful possession of a weapon. Neither suspect had a license to manufacture fireworks or explosives.They are being held on a $350,000 cash-only bond.
