Pamela Kreimeyer from Marion County, Iowa was tragically killed Saturday during a gender reveal party. The party involved a large, explosion-based reveal which sent an unexpected piece of debris flying into the gathered crowd.
The Daily Iowegian reports that the 56-year-old grandmother was struck with the debris and pronounced dead at the scene by police, who arrived shortly thereafter. It is believed she was killed instantly.
The party took place in Knoxville, “about 40 miles southeast of Des Moines.”
This is so sad. Can we be done with these things now?
— Dennis Lokey (@DennisLokey) October 28, 2019
Why can’t people just do normal gender reveal like when their OBGYN tells them in the office ????
— 30 RN ???????????? (@kingafroninjaa) October 28, 2019
The incident is now being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
The agency is also responsible for industrial and recreational explosives.
Come on, folks. Just do cupcakes or something.
— Beth (@Bethfromhere) October 27, 2019
Feel like a good way to reveal a baby’s gender is to just bring it around once born…
— Ben Thompson (@GetBenThompson) October 27, 2019
According to a statement provided to Buzzfeed News, Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt said:
“This family got together for what they thought was going to be a happy event with no intent for anyone to get hurt.”
“What ended up happening was that Pamela Kreimeyer, a wife, mother and grandmother was killed by a piece of metal where a metal stand, gunpowder and colored powder were involved.”
Kreimeyer as well as the expectant mother and four others gathered Saturday to experiment with different explosives ising gunpowder. The plan was to create an attention getting video for social media.
The group “inadvertently” created a pipe bomb according to Sheriff Sandholt.
Despite the group standing 45 feet away from the explosion, a metal fragment struck Kreimeyer in the head then flew an estimated 140 feet further. Injuries to any other participants were not reported by the Sheriff’s office.
No criminal charges are currently pending, but the incident is in the early stages of investigation.
Gender reveals have become increasingly complicated and correspondingly dangerous over the past couple of years as people attempt to one up each other on social media.
Occasionally, as in the case of a viral smack to the crotch or broken ankle, the results are relatively harmless.
The only thing better than a golf-themed gender reveal is one that ends in a crotch-shot KO: https://t.co/C3C1s8sWcq pic.twitter.com/Ob199n3Kif
— The Loop (@GoToTheLoop) July 27, 2019
A couple’s gender reveal stunt went horrible wrong for this dad @ https://t.co/kK8x3wx9Rc; Telling the untold #news | A couple’s gender reveal stunt backfired spectacularly after a coloured party popper exploded and hit the dad-to-be right in his crotch. https://t.co/2FZg4t2dbk pic.twitter.com/9yqnjqXGc8
— of today (@_oftoday_) June 19, 2019
But sometimes the results can be far more serious.
A gender-reveal gone wrong started a wildfire in Arizona last October, causing over $8 million in damages.
“Last year, a Border Patrol agent accidentally started a wildfire that destroyed 47,000 acres in AZ. The same year, fireworks rocketed into a crowd of spectators anxious to see if the fiery bursting into flames inches from their face would be blue or pink” https://t.co/wwqPuGsEn2
— Dana White (@DanaVivianWhite) October 28, 2019
When dealing with explosives of any sort—which include fireworks—safety is always the most important thing to consider. And no amateur should experiment with gunpowder.
But if you’re using those explosives in a gender reveal party…
…maybe take a second…
…step back…
…and consider whether some balloons in a box might not achieve the same effect without putting anyone’s safety at risk.
Or maybe wait and let children reveal their own gender when they’re ready, instead of labeling them before they’re even born.
Are injuries, arrests, arson charges and even death really worth it to make sure the color of baby gifts match outdated gender stereotypes?
More and more people are calling for an end to gender reveal spectacles.
You’re not hosting a gender reveal party, you’re just hosting a genital reveal party, FOR A BABY.
— Laurie Charles (@TheStuffOfMemes) October 7, 2019
same goes for ‘gendered’ clothing on infants, like a ribbonned headband on a bald baby. why is it so important for strangers to know what’s in your kid’s pants?
— Shpidah! (she is our hero!) (@make_once) October 8, 2019
Genuine curiosity…what pronouns would one use when referring to a baby? When people ask what sex the baby is, it can then be used to infer the pronoun hence she/he is gorgeous…what would be the alternative? I genuinely curious ????????????
— Kailesh Ira (@kaiira26) October 10, 2019
singular they sounds fine to me.
— Shpidah! (she is our hero!) (@make_once) October 11, 2019
but it’s far too modern, the singular they only been in use in common English for 700 years how will kids adjust to the change??
— Laurie Charles (@TheStuffOfMemes) October 11, 2019
Plot twist: Every attempt at a gender reveal (which is really, disturbingly, just a genital reveal) is a fail. https://t.co/3FL9GFWI1z
— Dr. Steven W. Thrasher (@thrasherxy) October 7, 2019
Kreimeyer’s relationship to the family of the expectant mother was unclear in the statement made by authorities.
May Pamela Kreimeyer rest in peace.
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