WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (AP) - Investigators have determined that two separate explosions that shook Lawrence County last week were caused by exploding rifle targets.
Buddy Williams, coordinator of the Lawrence County Office of Emergency Management, told The Jonesboro Sun (https://bit.ly/1GSBNSa ) he believes Tannerite rifle targets, which erupt in a water vapor explosion when shot, are responsible for the booms. Authorities postulate the people exploding the targets were combining three or four of the targets at once.
“This is what caused those booms,” Williams said.
According to officials, a shooter has to have a gun that can fire a bullet at 2,200 feet per second to ignite the target. The only substance to come out of the explosion is water vapor. The targets are relatively safe if the shooter and spectators are wearing ear protection, Williams said.
The mysterious explosions were felt from Hardy to Walnut Ridge on March 21 and March 24. No injuries were reported. Authorities have been inundated with calls from residents from throughout the county since the first explosion.
Williams said that while the explosions may be bothersome to locals, there are no federal, state or local laws that prohibit the targets from being used on private property. No arrests are expected in the case.
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