3 teens among the dead in explosion at home where weapons are made, Missouri cops say

Three teens were among the four people killed when a Missouri house exploded and caught fire, according to local authorities.

An investigation into their deaths found that the home’s garage was used to manufacture explosives sold as weapons. Now two men have been arrested after officials say they admitted to leading the operation.

Terrell Cooks, 37, and Seneca Mahan, 43, were arrested on counts of murder in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful possession of an illegal weapon, according to a June 19 news release from the St. Louis County Police Department.

The explosion

First responders were called to the northern St. Louis County home after the garage exploded at about 1:21 a.m. Friday, June 17.

“The garage was destroyed, the house was severely damaged, and debris was spread a significant distance from the site of the explosion,” officials said.

Four people — ages 16, 17, 18 and 21 — died of injuries related to the explosion and fire, according to an earlier news release. Several others were injured, including a 12-year-old child who lives at the home.

Mahan was at the house at the time of the explosion and “suffered minor injuries,” officials said.

Cooks was not at the home “but was identified by multiple witnesses as being one of the leaders of the manufacturing process occurring in the garage,” and law enforcement officers said they saw him moving chemicals into a vehicle after the explosion.

The operation

Both St. Louis men admitted to manufacturing ground salutes — “explosive devices designed to emit a loud report and bright flash” — in an interview with authorities, officials said.

They also reported juveniles and the victims who died would use provided materials to compound chemicals and create explosive power, load the powder into canisters and attach fuses for lighting, according to the news release.

Officials say the ground salutes, which can be used as fireworks, contained an explosive charge “far in excess” of the legal limits. The suspects did not have a license to work with the explosives.

Once the ground salutes were created, authorities say Mahan and Cooks would sell the “explosive weapons” to third-party buyers.

An investigation into the operation is ongoing.

This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 11:37 AM with the headline "3 teens among the dead in explosion at home where weapons are made, Missouri cops say."