SPOKANE, WA – Spokane Police are asking for the public’s help after a man was seriously injured when a firework was thrown from a moving vehicle in downtown Spokane.

According to the Spokane Police Department, the incident happened shortly after midnight on November 8 near 2nd Avenue and Wall Street. Multiple 911 callers reported a loud “bang” and initially believed it might have been a gunshot. Witnesses also saw an injured man walking in the area.

Officers later learned the noise was caused by an explosive device, not a firearm, and that the victim had already been taken to a local hospital. Investigators say a vehicle pulled up near a group of people before someone inside threw a lit firework—or similar item—into the crowd. The device detonated on the sidewalk and caused severe injuries to an adult male. He was later transferred to Harborview Medical Center due to the seriousness of his injuries.

A canvass of the area produced security images of the suspected vehicle. Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit are attempting to identify those involved.