( CNN ) -- Someone went into a large roost of blackbirds in Beebe , Arkansas , as the clock struck midnight Saturday and set off fireworks , contributing to the deaths of scores of blackbirds , a state wildlife spokeswoman said . Last New Year 's Eve , roughly 5,000 birds were found dead in a square-mile area in Beebe , a central Arkansas town about 35 miles northeast of Little Rock through which birds migrate and that is home to a large roost for the birds . Fireworks last year caused otherwise healthy birds to become disoriented and `` fly all over the place '' into stationary objects , such as trees and buildings , Arkansas Game and Fish Commission spokeswoman Ginny Porter said . Those birds ' deaths were likely `` not intentional , '' Porter added . But questions remain about the intention of the person or persons who set off fireworks that killed about 200 blackbirds this weekend . In light of the fatalities one year earlier , a state wildlife officer and Beebe police officers were patrolling the area mindful of the dangers that fireworks posed to the blackbirds , the wildlife spokesman noted . Even so , 50 birds died when fireworks went off around 7 p.m. Saturday , said Porter , who added , `` We do n't know where or who shot them ( fireworks ) . '' The majority of the blackbird deaths occurred five hours later at midnight , in a bunch of trees , or roost , in a residential area . `` Someone went into the roost and set off fireworks , '' the spokeswoman said. `` We did n't catch them , we do n't know who . '' Blackbirds have poor night vision and do not typically fly at night , according to the game commission . Robbie Stroud , a resident of Beebe , told CNN affiliate KARK that the latest deaths of birds were disarming , but not as jarring as what happened 12 months ago . `` It was pretty wild , '' Stroud recalled of the scene last January 1 . `` We got out and backed out of the driveway , and it was freaky , man . There were dead birds lying everywhere . '' CNN 's Maggie Schneider and Kara Devlin contributed to this report .
NEW : A Beebe resident recalls last year as ` ` freaky , '' with ` ` dead birds scattered everywhere '' About 100 blackbirds die this year in the city after two spurts of rain , an official says . ` ` Someone went into the roost and set off fireworks , '' she adds . About 5,000 birds were found dead in the Arkansas River last New Year 's Eve .