Police identify Norton man who died after explosion

Police have identified a 38-yearold Norton man who died Saturday morning from injuries sustained when a suspected meth lab exploded inside his apartment.

Edward Rooney of 3 Faith Way, Norton, was pronounced dead at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro just after 2:30 a.m. — less than two hours after police and fire responded to his apartment building and discovered “what appeared to be an explosion from a meth lab operation” inside an empty apartment, according to a statement Sunday from Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn.

Investigators believe Rooney fled his apartment before they arrived and they alerted authorities in neighboring towns to be on the lookout for his car as well as checked with nearby hospitals to see if he was admitted.

Shortly after, officers and paramedics in Attleboro responded to a Pike Avenue home after residents called 911 to report a man was experiencing “medical issues.”

The Pike Avenue residents said they were awoken in the middle of the night by a man screaming for help outside. They allowed Rooney inside the mudroom of their home, where he collapsed moments later, prompting the residents to call authorities.

Rooney was rushed to Sturdy Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 2:38 a.m.

The investigation remains ongoing and the medical examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine Rooney’s exact cause of death.

All residents of the Faith Way apartment complex in Norton where the suspected meth lab explosion happened were evacuated to a nearby community center.

Norton Police were assisted by the State Police Bomb Squad, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the State Police Clandestine Lab Enforcement Unit, State Police Crime Scene Services, and State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office to mitigate chemicals and residue inside Rooney’s apartment.