Discussion Big boom could land amateur bomb maker in huge trouble

[The Helper]

It may have started as a goofy stunt, but tonight a 30 year old Red Wing area man is in hot water with authorities, after detonating a powerful bomb in back of his home yesterday afternoon. "When you can take a steel box, a dump truck box, turn it into scrap metal and send it 1/4 mile away... that's a bomb," reasoned Goodhue County Sheriff Dean Albers, whose detectives are investigating the case.

The suspect admits buying 100 pounds of an explosive material advertised as 'Tannerite' from an internet website. The compound is most commonly used by long range target shooters, who aim at 8 ounce cans and know they've hit their mark when they explode. The suspect's device was the equivalent of 200 of those cans. "He had placed it inside of a barell inside the bed of an old dump truck, and shot it it with a 50 caliber rifle from 300 yards away," explained Albers.

The blast was powerful enough to rattle windows at Treasure Island, and trigger a high alert at nearby Prairie Island Nuclear Powerplant. Hunks of metal were discovered more than a quarter mile away from the suspect's property. An officer who responded to the scene reports seeing another bombed out vehicle near the remains of the dump truck, suggesting it is not the suspect's first attempt at manufacturing an explosive device.

 

[Wiseman_2]

Smeg. I don't suppose it would be a good time to mention that exploderising things is something I list as an interest.

As such, I know that there are a lot of people the world over with similiar interests. Explosions occur all over America (and the world) in similiar circumstances, from bomb enthusiasts. For most people it's a hobby, nothing more, I can assure you. What shocks me in this case is that it was possible to get the material directly without having to mix or make anything. Usually screening is undergone on such products. And now, the government will continue to block sales of anything interesting...

I can also say that most amateur bomb-makers (for lack of a better term) are well informed on the safety precautions, and most have certification in the area. This guy looks like he hasn't been following them. If he didn't have any sort of explosives certificate - which I doubt - then I foresee (and justifiably) a jail stretch for this guy.

 

[Asehujiko]

So he shot it from 100 metres when the debris flew about 4 times that far? If he would have gotten hit by it i would have nominated him for a darwin award without a second thought.