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Northfield Township house explosion kills parents, kids visiting grandpa for holidays

Grandfather, grandson seriously injured, hospitalized

A home on Winters Lane in Northfield Township, Michigan exploded on Dec. 30, 2023, killing four people and seriously injuring two others. Image courtesy of local police. (Northfield Township Police Department)

NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A massive explosion that completely destroyed a home in Northfield Township killed a mother, father, and two of their children as they visited family for the holidays, police reported Tuesday.

At around 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, an explosion occurred at a home on Winters Lane, just north of the area of Whitmore Lake and 6 Mile roads. Four people were killed and two others were critically injured and hospitalized from the explosion that left the entire house in pieces.

Inside the home at the time of the explosion was Richard Pruden, the homeowner, his daughter Hope Bragg, her husband Don, and their three children, Kenneth, Elizabeth and Stephen. The family lives in Arkansas and was visiting Pruden for the holidays, police said in an update provided on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Northfield Township police said Hope, Don, Kenneth, 23, and Elizabeth Bragg, 19, were killed in the explosion. Richard Pruden remained in critical condition as of Tuesday, while Stephen Bragg, 16, was in stable condition but still reportedly undergoing significant surgeries to address his injuries.

The cause of the explosion remained unknown as of Tuesday, but officials did say they’re classifying it, so far, as an “undetermined fuel-air explosion,” though the type of gas involved was not immediately known. Investigators do not suspect foul play, nor do they believe the explosion was in any way related to drugs, as some social media rumors have claimed.

“[There’s] no evidence of any type of butane lab or meth lab,” Northfield Township police Lt. David Powell said during a press conference Tuesday.

Investigators were still working to determine the exact cause of the explosion that tore apart the home, leaving only the basement. Even the concrete walls in the basement were crumbling, officials said.

Lt. Powell said the parcel of land that the home sits on is comprised of five acres, two of which were covered in debris from the explosion.

“There is nothing left of the property. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Powell said.

The area remained blocked off, and officials were asking the community to avoid the area while the investigation continues. Northfield Township police said they’ve partnered with several other law enforcement agencies to investigate, and that more answers were likely in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, the township was scheduled to host a vigil for the family members killed in the explosion at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6 at Whitmore Lake High School.

Police also shared two GoFundMe fundraisers that have been set up to help cover medical expenses for Richard Pruden and Stephen Bragg as they recover. Family members say both Pruden and Stephen Bragg were severely injured in the explosion, and that Pruden was in intensive care at the University of Michigan Hospital.

Click here for to visit the GoFundMe page for Pruden, and click here for the GoFundMe page for Stephen Bragg.


About the Author
Cassidy Johncox headshot

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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