What Happened
A Fourth of July celebration turned fatal in Central Islip on Saturday night when a backyard firework exploded and killed a 37-year-old man, while a second, unrelated firework incident left a Fort Salonga man seriously injured at a Suffolk County beach, according to News 12 Long Island.
Gabriel Ruiz-Urresto, 37, of Central Islip, was at a party at his home on East Sycamore Street when he lit a firework that exploded and struck him directly in the head, according to Suffolk County police. Ruiz-Urresto was pronounced dead at the scene. No additional partygoers were reported injured in the explosion. The incident unfolded during what police described as a backyard celebration on the night of July 4, 2026 — the Fourth of July holiday.
In a completely separate incident the same evening, 45-year-old Jerry DiMucci of Fort Salonga was seriously injured at Callahan’s Beach while lighting a firework during a Fourth of July celebration there. According to News 12 Long Island, the firework struck DiMucci in the face at approximately 9 p.m. Emergency responders transported him to Stony Brook University Hospital. Police characterized his injuries as serious but non-life-threatening. No other individuals were reported injured in that incident.
Suffolk County police are investigating both incidents and are actively seeking information from the public. Detectives have asked anyone with knowledge of either event to come forward and contact the department. As of the initial reporting published by News 12 journalist Karina Kovac on July 5, 2026, no arrests or charges had been announced in connection with either incident.
The two incidents mark a grim footnote to a major holiday weekend across Long Island. Both men were lighting consumer-grade fireworks at their respective locations — a private residence and a public beach — when the devices discharged in ways that caused catastrophic injury. The circumstances of exactly what types of fireworks were involved, and whether they were legally obtained, had not been publicly detailed by authorities at the time of initial reporting, per News 12 Long Island.
Location & Road Context
The fatal incident at East Sycamore Street occurred in Central Islip, a hamlet in the Town of Islip in western Suffolk County. The second incident took place at Callahan’s Beach in Fort Salonga, a hamlet in the Town of Smithtown in northern Suffolk County, situated along the Long Island Sound. Both locations are residential community areas — one a private backyard, the other a public waterfront beach — typical gathering spots for Independence Day celebrations.
Suffolk County is one of Long Island’s most densely populated counties, and our local incident database contains 562 recorded accidents in Suffolk County across all incident types, reflecting the high traffic and public safety volume the county manages year-round. The Fourth of July weekend historically represents a peak period for both traffic incidents and firework-related injuries across the region. A sobriety checkpoint on July 4 resulted in seven arrests, and a critical crash in a Suffolk driveway on July 3 had already claimed one life before the firework fatalities occurred.
Broader Impact
Consumer fireworks — including the types commonly set off at private parties and beach gatherings — are illegal for private use in New York State, and Suffolk County authorities have historically warned residents against their use precisely because of the risk of catastrophic, fatal injury. The death of Gabriel Ruiz-Urresto and the serious facial injuries suffered by Jerry DiMucci underscore that risk in the starkest possible terms: both men were lighting fireworks in the presence of others, and in both cases the devices discharged in a manner that caused grievous harm. New York State law prohibits the sale and use of most consumer fireworks, and violations can carry civil penalties in addition to criminal charges — though as of initial reporting, no charges related to either July 4 incident had been filed.