A cooler full of fireworks on Sunday prompted authorities in South Plainfield, New Jersey, to cancel one of the state’s largest Labor Day parades.
Authorities described a “security concern” due to “multiple small explosive devices” that were found during an inspection of a cooler that also contained fireworks.
A man reportedly brought the cooler of fireworks to a concert hoping to set them off toward the end of the event. Authorities refused and confiscated the cooler before the man was allowed to enter the area.
A later inspection of the cooler revealed that the collection of explosives was not limited to festive fireworks and included potentially dangerous explosives.
The discovery led authorities to also investigate the man’s home, where they found more explosive devices. Thomas G. Kaiser, 55, had also been spotted by a witness trying to deliver a homemade device to a band member.
Due to the Kaiser home’s proximity to the parade route, the Labor Day festivities were canceled out of an observance of caution, though authorities did not believe that Kaiser had planned to harm parade observers. Police also stated that they had previously observed Kaiser as someone who could potentially have “mental issues.”
