SHAWANO – A Pittsfield teen was convicted Monday of 13 felony charges for causing a bonfire explosion that injured at least 17 people in 2022.
Samuel Armstrong, 18, pleaded no contest to all charges against him of causing injury by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, explosives or fire. A no contest plea means he accepts a guilty verdict without admitting or denying guilt.
Armstrong’s sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. April 11 in Shawano County Circuit Court. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 3½ years in prison, $10,000 in fines, or both.
The bonfire explosion occurred the night of Oct. 15, 2022. Seventeen people went to area hospitals with injuries, while the total number of people who were injured in the explosion is unknown.
Some of those injured suffered second- and third-degree burns and had to be treated at hospitals in Milwaukee and Madison.
According to a criminal complaint, victims and witnesses told investigators around 40 people had been at a bonfire at a home on Cedar Drive in Maple Grove, in Shawano County.