Pleasant Hill police are looking for a man who brought an illegal firework on the campus of Pleasant Hill Middle School that later exploded and injured a 14-year-old student.
Police received a call at 3:05 p.m. April 17 about an explosion on a walking path near 2800 Contra Costa Blvd.
Police found paramedics at the scene treating the boy for "significant" injuries to his hand, police said.
The boy was taken to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland by ambulance for immediate treatment of his injuries, which were not life-threatening.
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Investigators determined the boy found the illegal firework on the ground at the middle school earlier that day.
Campus video surveillance footage showed someone brought the illegal firework onto campus around 2 p.m. on April 16.
While no one else was present, the suspect walked into one of the outdoor hallways, placed the firework on the ground, and lit the fuse. The firework initially ignited but didn't explode. The suspect then left campus and the unexploded firework remained on the ground in the outdoor hallway, according to police.
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The student then found the unexploded firework the next day and lit it on the off-campus walkway.
Police said, based on the footage, the suspect apparently wasn't trying to harm anyone as no bystanders were present. The suspect is described as being 18 to 22 years old, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds.
Anyone with information about the case can call investigators at (925) 288-4688.
