DES MOINES, Iowa – Authorities on Monday released the name of a woman killed after she was struck by debris during a gender reveal announcement Saturday in Iowa.

The woman was identified as Pamela Kreimeyer, 56, in a news release Monday from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Jason Sandholdt's office said an investigation showed that family members working on ways to make a fun announcement of a child's gender for social media inadvertently created a pipe bomb.

"Members of the Kreimeyer family were experimenting with different types of explosive material on Friday and Saturday," the news release said. Six people, including Kreimeyer and the expectant mother, gathered Saturday and put gunpowder inside a homemade stand that was welded to a metal base.

Related Video: Explosion Destroys Iowa House, Damages Others

Is this the 'new normal'? With raging fires, high winds and blackouts, California is living a disaster movie

They put a piece of wood on top of the gunpowder and some colored powder on top of that. The stand had a hole drilled in the side for a fuse.

Finally, tape was wrapped over the top of the assembly. The idea was for the gunpowder to blast the colored powder indicating the gender out the top of the stand.

But the explosion instead sent metal shrapnel flying. Kreimeyer – who was standing with family members about 45 feet away – was killed instantly by a piece that struck her in the head, the news release said. The debris continued flying for well over 100 more yards, the sheriff's office said.

Sandholdt also released a statement: "This family got together for what they thought was going to be a happy event with no intent for anyone to get hurt. What ended up happening was that Pamela Kreimeyer, a wife, mother and grandmother, was killed by a piece of metal where a metal stand, gunpowder and colored powder were involved. This is a reminder that anytime someone mixes these things there is a high potential for serious injury or death; please do not take these unnecessary risks. My condolences go out to the family."

Story continues

Follow Philip Joens on Twitter @Philip_Joens.

Elijah Cummings: Why a pallbearer at Cummings' memorial didn't shake Mitch McConnell's hand

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Pamela Kreimeyer: Woman killed in gender reveal explosion identified