Vigilante Justice doesn't work ? News to me.
This explosive device was an attempt at murder. An armed citizen, again, would have been able to resolve the situation.
Yes, if you were armed and put a bullet in my buddy's head for throwing a firework, which is illegal and stupid but was probably not malicious in intent, I would put 6 more in your head.
See how well these things work?
Lets be honest here, this is a terrible situation but I highly doubt the likelihood that any of the ignorant teenagers or young people targeted this people in an attempt to hurt them. I know personally I did some pretty unintelligent things in my youth that were aimed at entertainment but could have potentially hurt an innocent bystander.
Lets think reasonably here, when practically all car enthusiasts speed as well as much of the general public, you're potentially driving a lethal weapon that although, once again not malicious in nature, could unintentionally maim or kill an innocent bystander.
Its tragic what happened and the fool who threw the firework should turn himself in and take his punishment like a man but he certainly does not warrant a bullet in his brain for a single mistake that he made that resulted in a probably unforeseen or thought about consequence, from the young person's point of view. Nearly all of us young people have the "superman" mentality and think that we're untouchable and that no one would actually be injured.
Its an entirely different story if the person who threw the firework intended harm or has a history of such illegal activities and ill-wanted effects.
[Down off my rational soapbox>