Originally published on De Moines Register
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office said no charges will be filed against teenagers who set off a large explosion while target shooting Tuesday.
Dallas County Sheriff’s deputies received several calls from residents near Woodward, and as far away as Madrid, reporting the blast around 7:30 p.m., according to Chief Deputy Adam Infante.
A short investigation revealed the cause of the explosion to be Tannerite. Infante said three teenagers were using the exploding compound while target shooting on private land southwest of Woodward.
Tannerite, manufactured by Oregon-based Tannerite Sports, is the most popular brand of exploding compound, more commonly known as exploding rifle targets, according to USA Today. The explosive is made of two components, ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder. Its components must be mixed to become explosive, which make it legal under federal law, said John Ham, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesperson.
The teens who triggered Tuesday’s explosion were a safe distance away from their target; there was no property damage and no injuries, Infante said.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m not aware of any laws they broke,” Infante said.
Tannerite is not regulated by the ATF, Ham said. He said the product can be safely used if the manufacturer’s instructions are followed.
In late October last year, a large blast outside Waukee was caused by Tannerite at a gender reveal party. Nobody was injured in the explosion. The El Dorado fire in southern California was started last month by a Tannerite explosion at a gender reveal party, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The fire is still burning.
“Certainly these incidents are not uncommon,” Ham said. “There have been instances when this stuff is more powerful than what they were planning.”
