What’s With The Unexpected And Startling Loud Booms In Kilgore?

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Nothing is more alarming than an unexpected loud boom when you're sitting in your home doing whatever it is you're doing. Over the past week or so, some Kilgore residents have been hearing more and more of these loud booms and they're wondering what they are and where they're coming from. Many concerned residents are calling 9-1-1 to report an explosion of some kind, but they're not sure what the explosion is.

The first reported loud booms came in a little over a week ago. So many calls came into the Kilgore Police Departments 9-1-1 dispatch center on December 12th around 9 p.m, that Kilgore Police had to issue a statement on their Facebook page stating they had no idea what the boom was, where it came from, or what caused it and they were trying to determine the source of the boom. Turns out that source is apparently Tannerite.

What is Tannerite?

Tannerite is a brand of binary explosive targets used by marksmen and hunters for target practice. The target components are relatively safe to use and handle until it is struck by a high-velocity bullet or impact. When that happens an explosion happens and a boom is heard. When marksmen and hunters are practicing and aiming for a long-distance target they often times use Tannerite, or a similar product, to know if they've hit the intended target from a long distance. It immediately tells the shooter if they've hit their intended target or not.

While it's legal to use, using too much of the product can become illegal and dangerous. But with anything, people will test the limits and are most likely using more of this compound mixture during target practice than it is intended for. Whenever a loud boom like this is heard, social media feeds blow up, pun intended! Curious people want to know what the commotion is about, others want people to stop using it while others are of a different mindset. There is quite a healthy discussion going on over at the private Facebook group, 'Heads Up Kilgre Est. 2017' about the use of Tannerite and things blowing up because of its use right outside of the city. Join that group to read the comments and get involved in the conversation.

To those who are using Tannerite, let's up hope you're using it in accordance with the established law. Any other use could or too much of it at once could have severe consequences.