Walker County family fireworks business burglarized - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

For questions about fireworks - the Williamson family can tell you almost anything you need to know.

"They enjoy it - they ask for the same ones every year when they come to us," Roger Williamson, Jr. said.

Roger and his 7 brothers started a little stand off Highway 78 - 8 years ago-- after their mom died.

"When mom and dad passed away, families tend to separate, so I decided to come up with some fireworks to keep us together," Roger Williamson, Sr. said.

Health concerns left Roger with few options for supporting his family, but his passion for pyro and poppers - led to a new open door.

"If they take everything away and tell you you can't do anything and then you get something started that you can do - it means so much. You just can't explain it," Williamson said. 

But this fourth is perhaps more difficult than years past. After opening their shop one morning- they discovered the shop had been burglarized. The chief suspect- is the person they hired as a security guard.

"We came in, the money was gone and you could tell some of the stuff was gone," Williamson said.

"It puts a bad feeling in your stomach that you tried to help someone out, try to be kind hearted to someone and they want to stab you in the back for that," his son, said.  

It was that attention to the shop that brought out the crowds of fireworks enthusiasts and this small shop has been packed out ever since.

"This man takes care of everybody," William Campbell, a customer said. "It doesn't matter, rich or poor. If it wasn't for him, most of us wouldn't get any."

"I think they are pretty good people and it's going to a good cause," Richard Lottier, a customer said.

"Everybody in this community, to me, is just like family!" Williamson said.