JEFFERSON, Ga. — Locals near one east Georgia town apparently got a bit of an unwelcome surprise on Saturday night when they heard a rather loud explosion.
Now, the sheriff says she knows what caused it.
Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum shared on Facebook, Sunday, that Jackson County 911 had gotten several calls and she had gotten many texts about a loud explosion overnight. The noise even led to deputies heading to the area to search for the source.
Since then, Sheriff Mangum said she has discovered that the explosion was caused by Tannerite - a brand-name binary explosive - which is designed for long-distance shooting.
And while the time at which the explosion went off may not be considered particularly inconsiderate, Tannerite is legal.
"I really hate when this happens because it scares the bejeebies out of everyone and rightly so," Sheriff Mangum said. "Tannerite is legal to possess and shoot and does not violate any existing laws that I can find."
Regardless of its legality, the explosive - like most - can be pretty dangerous if handled irresponsibly as one Georgia man found out in 2016 when he opened fire on a lawnmower packed with the explosive. While the video shows some distance between him and the mower, to begin with, the amount of Tannerite was so great that the man lost his leg in the aftermath.
And, in 2017, a gender reveal party thrown by an off-duty border patrol agent used the explosive as part of the big announcement. But, in the process, the explosion was also found to be the likely source of a massive Arizona wildfire.
As a result of the Sawmill Fire near Tuscon, the agent agreed to a plea agreement that resulted in five years of probation and $220,000 in restitution payments.
In both cases though, the repercussions were much more about the results of the explosion and not how loud it was.
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