911 calls flood in after loud boom heard near Gastonia

GASTONIA, NC — Residents across Gaston, Lincoln, and even western Mecklenburg counties reported hearing a loud boom just after 7 p.m. Sunday night that rattled windows and scared pets.

The concussion from the blast sparked several 911 calls and even calls from law enforcement and fire fighters who heard it.

"My husband went outside to see if anything had fallen on the house or anything it was that bad," one 911 caller reported.

"It was so strong. It shook our house and our neighbor's house," another caller said.

It turns out the noise was caused by a person shooting into 50 pounds of Tannerite. That's a compound used to make exploding targets for firearms practice.

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The explosive is set off by a high-velocity bullet hitting it, and it is legal to use.

A woman posted video on Facebook of the explosion. She told Channel 9 they were trying to blow up a beaver damn on property they just bought on Miles Road North of Dallas, but the public post said their intentions were pure fun.

"It was the loudest boom I have ever heard in my life," said neighbor Gary Ownenby.

We showed the video to Sgt Kevin Murphy of the Gaston County Bomb Squad.

"That's an excessive amount," Murphy said.

He said the pressure from such a blast can hurt internal organs.

"The force is hitting your body. It can rupture eardrums," he explained.

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