Friend of Gaston tragically killed

[Newsies]

I don't know if this has been posted here yet or not. In case it hasn't, here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3150053/Police-Man-shoots-firework-head-dies.html

I'm absolutely heartbroken. What a personality. Devon was such a wonderful friend of Gaston and really added a lot of fun to the Magic Kingdom. May his soul rest in peace for eternity.

 

[kateandy08096]

I hope it isnt true however this is my daughter and Gaston in Oct

 

[GoofyVette]

From reading the News, I think it's the Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Nonetheless, tragic. What a shame.

 

[mrsksomeday]

I hope it isnt true however this is my daughter and Gaston in Oct

According to Devon Staples facebook he worked at Walt Disney World January 2014 to June 2014, so that was not him in your picture.

 

[kateandy08096]

Its sad no matter how you look at it

 

[Dfan79]

Well thats good then because it looks just like him. The gaston we had in may 2014 wasnt as good as the gaston last oct

You should probably reword that.

It's a really tragic death and I'm sure he'll be missed. This is why fireworks are illegal in some states. People who drink a lot of alcohol do a lot of unwise things.

P.S. The title for the thread needs some tinkering as well. Lets be adults and say he played Gaston. Most of us know regular people are paid to play Disney characters... Most of us.

 

[Josh Hendy]

I'm not sure how these things work. Did the fireworks shell strike the man, i.e. was the tube pointed at his head, or was the tube was resting on his head and did the recoil or back-blast of the mortar launch kill him?

Rest in Peace.

 

[Reddog1134]

I'm not sure how these things work. Did the fireworks shell strike the man, i.e. was the tube pointed at his head, or was the tube was resting on his head and did the recoil or back-blast of the mortar launch kill him?

Rest in Peace.

I've read a few different articles and the details are vague, but here's what I've gathered.

He placed it on his head and jokingly said he was going to light it. The next thing anyone knew, the firework went off and he was dead. His brother said he would never intentionally light it.

 

[JoeA]

Sadly, how many times does alcohol and the phrase, "hey, watch this!" end poorly?

 

[Newsies]

From reading the News, I think it's the Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Nonetheless, tragic. What a shame.

You could be right, but I'm fairly certain that I saw that multiple news sources had images that were presumably him in character at MK. Regardless, he will be missed.

P.S. The title for the thread needs some tinkering as well. Lets be adults and say he played Gaston. Most of us know regular people are paid to play Disney characters... Most of us.

I have several friends who have been in and out of the DCP having portrayed characters. All of them have referred to themselves as "friends of _____". It's just Disney terminology. It's just like saying "an actor who plays ___", only you don't have to type as much and you're using a term that the Disney company has coined for it's employees.

 

[mattchu758]

In the article is says that his death was the first in Maine since it legalized fireworks in 2012. Such a tragedy

 

[Josh Hendy]

It's just Disney terminology. It's just like saying "an actor who plays ___", only you don't have to type as much and you're using a term that the Disney company has coined for it's employees.

To most people, "friend of Gaston" implies that he was some kind of long-term partner or special companion. Kind of like saying, "friend of Dorothy".

Not meaning to distract from the tragedy of it all.

 

[TianaPrincess]

This is just horrible. I don't care if it was a very silly thing to do, someone lost there life and that is not cool at all. May he rest in peace and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

 

[Reddog1134]

To most people, "friend of Gaston" implies that he was some kind of long-term partner or special companion. Kind of like saying, "friend of Dorothy".

Not meaning to distract from the tragedy of it all.

I used to think it referred to character handlers.

Disney doesn't like CM's saying "I play THIS character" because they see it as spoiling the magic. So being a "friend of" is a way around that.

 

[Twende]

What a shame and what a horror for his friends and family. Prayers for all.

 

[SouthJersey]

According to his friends that were interviewed, he intentionally lit it. Which is more believable, because the wicks don't generally come out far from the tubing and 1.4g/C consumer fireworks have 3mm 25s/ft fusing which won't light easily from indirect heat or embers. Accidentally lighting one is really hard, unless he went as far as holding a direct flame to it while 'pretending' and put it too close.

There's countless videos of people doing similar things on YouTube. Even when we've lit fireworks in the past, I've always seen the occasional guy pushing the limits and firing it from the hip or aiming them across the street towards other displays. The mortars have two charges, one for the initial propulsion and then the second for the airburst of the display. He could have put it in upside-down while drunk and the initial charge did it or blasted the base into him. If he wasn't holding it firmly, the lift charge could have blown through the bottom plastic base, or he could have just had one that exploded prematurely in the tube.

Either way, it's sad, but it's no more or less deserving of judgement and wrong than deciding to drive drunk and lose your life. It was an intoxicated, bad decision.

 

[AlmostAmber22]

Such a sad tragedy stemmed from a poor decision. Prayers for his family and loved ones