David Paul Weinstein
David Paul Weinstein, 45, died when an explosion tore through the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola, Florida, late on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, while they were held there. Officials called it an apparent gas explosion, and state fire marshal and federal ATF investigators were working to determine its cause. The jail's basement had more than two feet of water from heavy rain at the time of the blast. Other accounts say people held inside had smelled gas beforehand, a claim the county said it had no record of, and whether the explosion was an accident or could have been prevented remained under investigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Died in an accident (neglect alleged). Officials called it an apparent gas explosion while state fire marshal and federal ATF investigators determine the cause; inmates told family and attorneys they smelled gas before the blast, and the county said it had no record of those concerns.
Reported by: Escambia County (the agency that held them); state fire marshal and federal ATF investigators (outside investigators).
Sources (5)
- Escambia County Jail in Pensacola, Florida, Hit by Deadly Blast
- 2 dead, 100 injured in Florida jail explosion
- Pensacola, Florida Jail That Exploded Had Past Problems
- Names of 2 dead inmates in jail explosion released
- Demo day:Old Escambia County jail being torn down almost five years after fatal explosion - WEAR-TV