15-Year-Old Dies After Attempted Fireworks Robbery

A 15-year-old is dead after police say he and an older man were trying to steal fireworks from a stand earlier Tuesday morning, July 4. Police are still searching for a second suspect.

It all began near Charles Page and 65th West Avenue.

7/4/2017 Related Story: Armed Robbery Suspect Dies In Shootout At West Tulsa Fireworks Stand

All accounts say the attempted theft happened fast and before many knew what was happening, bullets were flying and a 15-year-old was dead.

Terrifying for Johnny Mize. His business robbed. Shots fired. His son being driven off by the suspects after jumping into their pick-up.

"With my son in the back of the truck, I had to get him," Mize said.

Police say the theft resulted in the death of Ulrich, one of two people that arrived in the truck being used to steal fireworks.

Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Spokesman Justin Green says "there were some shots exchanged."

Around 11:20 a.m. police say people were buying fireworks when a green truck with two people inside pulled up.

There's a commotion. Mize's oldest son sees two people grab a $600 box of fireworks. His son grabs a gun and runs after them.

"I seen them running with it, and thrown it into the back of their truck," Mize said.

Saying the thieves shot at them as they ran after them.

"Yeah, they fired a shot. It went out there [pointing to field] somewhere," Mize said.

Mize's son shot back.

"He fired a shot and it broke both their windshield, or their window," Mize said.

"He took off before I could get both legs in, and knocked me off the back of it," Mize said.

But Mize's son got in.

"Shots were fired at him as he was going toward the pick-up truck, and as he was in the pick-up truck," Green said.

The truck headed north on 65th Street. That's when Mize says his son tried to stop it.

"He was still in the back of the truck. He had to shoot the tire to get the truck stopped," Mize said.

Police say the driver of the truck got out and ran.

Mize says his son then got in the driver's seat of the truck and started to head back to the fireworks stand.

Around that same time and in the 6500 block of West Edison, Mike Waresback was outside and saw the truck stop. He then then says he saw Mize pull up and help his son load the stolen fireworks into their car. 

"And they were pushing on it hard, trying to get it shove in there. And then I heard one of them holler 'go, go, go!'" Waresback said.

The Mize family is shaken up after the ordeal. 

We work hard for our money," Mize said.

The surviving suspect in the robbery is still on the loose.  

The owner of the fireworks stand and his sons have been questioned and released by police as the investigation continues.