2008 Woodie Awards
MU community faces loss of sophomore
Authorities charge 3 others in West Chester pipe bomb explosion during Winter Break
Kellyn Moran
Issue date: 1/15/08 Section: Front Page
To friends and family, Daniel Ferraro was a fun-loving guy with a unique personality. But his life was cut tragically short Jan. 2 when a pipe bomb he was experimenting with exploded at his West Chester, Ohio residence.
Daniel, 19, was a sophomore psychology major at Miami University, a member of the university's ROTC and an Eagle Scout.
According to his sister, Miami junior Victoria Ferraro, he had a unique zest for life.
"Daniel was the kind of person who, pretty much his entire life, was full of energy," Victoria said. "As a little kid he was jumping around everywhere-he was always excited about everything."
Jason Hill, Daniel's roommate, said Daniel could always find something fun to do.
"He definitely had a great sense of humor-a quirky sense of humor," Hill said. "He was just a really goofy, fun kid."
Daniel was trying to use a homemade pipe bomb to demolish an old fort in his backyard when the blast fatally injured him. Victoria said despite some portrayals of the situation, Daniel wasn't trying to be destructive.
"It was a wooden fort he had built quite a while ago and (he didn't make the bomb) so much to destroy it as to experiment with what would happen," Victoria said. "And honestly I think that structure was the only thing he could come up with that would satisfy his curiosity."
She said he had an interest in guns and explosives, but not in a destructive or malicious way. Perhaps those interests would have carried through to a career for Daniel some day, Victoria said.
Daniel's three friends who were present at the time of the explosion face charges from the West Chester Police Department. According to records obtained from the police, a 14-year-old from West Chester is facing one charge of involuntary manslaughter and one charge of illegally making explosives. A 15-year-old West Chester resident faces one charge of involuntary manslaughter and one charge of illegal possession of explosives.
Daniel, 19, was a sophomore psychology major at Miami University, a member of the university's ROTC and an Eagle Scout.
According to his sister, Miami junior Victoria Ferraro, he had a unique zest for life.
"Daniel was the kind of person who, pretty much his entire life, was full of energy," Victoria said. "As a little kid he was jumping around everywhere-he was always excited about everything."
Jason Hill, Daniel's roommate, said Daniel could always find something fun to do.
"He definitely had a great sense of humor-a quirky sense of humor," Hill said. "He was just a really goofy, fun kid."
Daniel was trying to use a homemade pipe bomb to demolish an old fort in his backyard when the blast fatally injured him. Victoria said despite some portrayals of the situation, Daniel wasn't trying to be destructive.
"It was a wooden fort he had built quite a while ago and (he didn't make the bomb) so much to destroy it as to experiment with what would happen," Victoria said. "And honestly I think that structure was the only thing he could come up with that would satisfy his curiosity."
She said he had an interest in guns and explosives, but not in a destructive or malicious way. Perhaps those interests would have carried through to a career for Daniel some day, Victoria said.
Daniel's three friends who were present at the time of the explosion face charges from the West Chester Police Department. According to records obtained from the police, a 14-year-old from West Chester is facing one charge of involuntary manslaughter and one charge of illegally making explosives. A 15-year-old West Chester resident faces one charge of involuntary manslaughter and one charge of illegal possession of explosives.
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