I don't think an aerial firework could have shattered a car window and penetrated all the way through the headrest.
Video showed a through and through hole in the headrest, maybe 1/2 inch diameter or less.
 
 https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/01/02/maui-man-left-bloody-after-stray-firework-rips-through-cab-his-pick-up/

Does look suspicious especially since there are no powder burns on the headrest.  Breaking the window, probably.  But leaving what looks like a 3 inch hole in the headrest looks funny.

I don't think an aerial firework could have shattered a car window and penetrated all the way through the headrest.
Video showed a through and through hole in the headrest, maybe 1/2 inch diameter or less.
 
 https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/01/02/maui-man-left-bloody-after-stray-firework-rips-through-cab-his-pick-up/

I doubt that a firework would have that much energy to go through a window, a headrest, and then another window
puka in the headrest looks just the right diameter for a shotgun slug

So how is he so sure it was an aerial firework. “It was so smoky” he doubted anyone saw what happened.

I’ve seen fireworks go astray, including stands blow up and debris (practically shrapnel) go everywhere. If they are shooting of commercial grade fireworks, it can get dangerous.

That said, that hole in headrest doesn’t look like the firework itself. Nor debris from a stand unless he was pretty close to there it went off.

Hope wasn’t a drunk person popping off some “other” types of projectiles.

There can be 2 or more charges in an aerial: propellant in the lifting charge and the main bursting charge (basically a huge firecracker inside).

I could believe the propellant broke the window and then the bursting charge added energy by exploding inside the car.

Some of these aerials I've seen burst at a pretty low altitude, meaning they don't have as much propellant as a professional aerial.  So, it's very possible the fuse to the inner charge set that off pretty quickly after hitting the window.

Some of these massive "BOOM!!" aerials that sound like artillery have the launch and burst reports very close together.  They don't take more than a second or two between liftoff and explosion.

i'm still surprised that aerial fireworks aren't considered to be within the definition of "firearm" under HRS 134-1

"Firearm" means any weapon, for which the operating force is an explosive, including but not limited to pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, automatic firearms, noxious gas projectors, mortars, bombs, and cannon.


is the only distinction between an aerial firework and a shotgun due to the traditional notion of the term "weapon"?

could aerial fireworks be used as a "weapon"?  conversely, if i only do target shooting with a rifle and i never intend for it to be a "weapon", then will it still be considered a "firearm" under Hawaii law?  is the term "weapon" defined by the intended use of the object, or is it defined by its potential use?  if the dalai lama had an ar-15, would that ar-15 still be considered a "firearm" if the dalai lama never intended to use it as a "weapon"?

is a golf ball launcher considered a "weapon" if it utilizes blanks as a propellant?  what about a PVC pipe potato cannon that uses hairspray as a propellant?

My AR15 identifies as a NERF soft dart gun.

Oh wait, I do not own any firearms, ammo, reloading supplies, body armor, or comms.