Thousands of folks heard a loud explosion last night across northwest Louisiana. Some claimed it was fireworks, but many say it was much louder than that.

The focus of the big boom was in DeSoto Parish. KEEL News caught up with DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson who tells us it was tannerite which is an explosive used in firearms training. Folks also use it to get rid of wild hogs.

Tannerite is described as a "binary explosive used for firearms practice and sold in kit form. It is is supplied as two separate components that are mixed by the user."

Richardson says it is sold as two separate components and can be purchased at many sporting goods stores. There are no legal restrictions to keep folks from shooting it off. But in this case, these folks shot off 80 pounds of tannerite which in the sheriff's view is "very excessive". He says "usually you shoot a pound or two."

Sheriff Richardson says this happened last night in a rural area of DeSoto Parish outside of the Gloster and Stonewall communities. The sheriff says these folks did call the sheriff's office in advance to tell them they were going to be shooting some tannerite, but they did not tell the dispatchers how much tannerite they would be blowing up.

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