May 18, 2013
A 4-year-old boy died early Sunday morning after a device exploded near a truck trailer where he was playing.
Sammy Evans stumbled upon the device Saturday night when it detonated at about 8:30 p.m. He died of his injuries at a Columbus hospital Sunday.
His sister, a seven-year-old who was not named, was treated for minor injuries and released.
“They stumbled upon the device and it detonated. Whether they were playing with it and dropped it or it just went off, we don't know,'' said John Bankhead, spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Bankhead said there were no signs the blast was connected to the site's proximity to Fort Benning, a U.S. Army base. Little was known about what caused the blast, including whether it came from inside the truck trailer or beside it.
The children were in Cusseta visiting from Philadelphia, Mississippi. Bankhead said they were playing outside their great-grandmother's palm-reading shop when the device exploded.
Authorities said they hope to interview the girl.
