Someone has some 'splaining to do...

SOURCE (http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=492577)

http://www.kare11.com/assetpool/images/08114162846_Explosion_NearPrairieIsland_Truck_hd.j pg


Video of a flyby of the above pic at the source website

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.

As disturbing to the Sheriff as what 'could' have happened, is the fact that such dangerous materials are just a mouse click away. "That you could go ahead and order 100 pounds of this, with the regulations out there, this day and age, you'd have thought someone would build a mechanism that would have detected someone's order this kind of amount."

KARE 11 contacted the manufacturer of Tannerite, who confirmed he shipped ten cases of the compound to the suspect. It is certian both the 30 year old man 'and' the Tannerite website will undergo increased scrutiny, as agents for the F-B-I, A-T-F, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U-S Post Office, and the U-S Coast Guard have contacted the Goodhue County Sheriff. "I guess it's one of those things, you think you're doing it for a lark," said Albers, "You have to understand since 9-11 the impacts are alot greatedr than they used to be."

Both local and federal charges are possible in the case.

what if he bought lotsa of smaller amounts and added them up?

This do-it-yourself explosion expert must have been shocked as hell when that enormous IED of his detonated. No one with his income (as made obvious in the video) would want to turn themselves into Osama Bin Minnisota. He premeditated the heck out of this super-boom, tho. He bought a dump truck as a target and spent a pretty penny on the explosives online too. And he got it on video! I hope the authorities didn't nab that clip before it got online.

I know that place - Red Wing, MN. Like most rural areas there ain't a thing to do but whatever wild ideas come into your own mind. Guys from the farm have the most bizarre stories.

Did you see his big ol' ranch-style house on the TV news video at the source link? This guy has WAY too much money & time on his hands. Pity the explosives manufacturer and the perpetrator: they are now squarely in the crosshairs of the ATF and Homeland Security. Patriot Act, anyone? Bye-bye rural privacy.

*salutes*
I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. And I wont forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. Cause there ain’t no doubt, I love this land, God bless the USA!

Home Video of the explosion released. (http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=60992&bw=)

Thanks for the video heads-up Thonl. We'll see how much that guy is smiling about his "just having a little fun" when he's brought up on those 3 felony counts. They're going to make an example of his fat ass that's for sure. He's going to want to hide inside that gigantic fake Carhart coat of his when he finds out what the penalties will be. Stiff, very stiff fines and being put on the Watch List are the bare minimum of what he could be facing. The federal government of the United States has a citizen in their sights. Watch out.

I hope he saved some of the money from his truck explosion hoot with his laughing, vid-taping pals to buy some time with a good attorney.

Anyone else hears about this case when it comes to court please post it. It'll be interesting to see what happens to this 30 year-old man child. He won't have his two (equally naive) parents to speak for him in court like they did for the media. The heat is on in Red Wing, Minnisota.