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20 April 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Investigators have been working to discover what caused a west Wichita house to explode 11 days ago, killing a man. They think it could have been from a homemade explosive.
There were several explosions at the home, near South Parkridge Street and West Blake Street, around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 9. Kendal James, 48, and some of his pets died. His wife was not at home at the time.
The next day, the Wichita Fire Department said its crews found fireworks in the home.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said the investigation is continuing, but “the explosion appears to have been caused by the illegal manufacturing of improvised explosives devices (IEDs).”
John Ham, ATF public information officer, said evidence has been sent to ATF’s forensics laboratory for analysis. He said that testing will a critical role in formulating a definitive cause.
KSN News asked Ham to define IED.
“There’s not a good short answer, but it typically covers any homemade explosive,” he said.
He said this link provides several examples.