One New Hampshire family’s gender reveal party was such a blast that it rattled towns, set off reports of an earthquake, and could be heard from across the state line, police said.
Kingston police said they received reports of a loud explosion at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday that could be heard in several towns and as far away as Massachusetts. They responded to Torromeo quarry where they found people who acknowledged holding a gender reveal party involving explosives.
The source was Tannerite — 80 pounds of it, police said. The family thought the quarry would be the safest spot to blow up the explosive, which is typically sold over the counter as a target for firearms practice, police said.
No injuries were reported, police said.
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So what, exactly, is Tannerite?
Tannerite is an over-the-counter, explosive target used for firearms practice and sold in kit form. It is made by mixing aluminum powder with ammonium nitrate.
Law enforcement experts say 80 pounds is enough to cause significant damage to a home.
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Did the explosion cause any damage?
Nearby residents said the blast rocked their homes. Some reported property damage.
“We heard this god-awful blast,” Sara Taglieri, who lives in a home that abuts the quarry, told NBC10 Boston. “It knocked pictures off our walls … I’m all up for silliness and what not, but that was extreme.”
Taglieri’s husband, Matt, said neighbors reported cracks in the foundation of their homes from the explosion.
Plaistow resident Maggie Jasmin, who lives two miles from the quarry, told the Union Leader her tap water turned brown in the wake of the explosion. She said her family is now using bottled water and won’t be showering at home until the situation is resolved.
“I’m hoping that in the next 24 to 48 hours it will settle and resolve itself. If not, we’ll probably be taking showers at my in-laws,” she told the newspaper.
Has anything like this ever happened before?
Gender reveal parties started out innocently enough, with expecting couples popping balloons filled with colored powder or cutting blue or pink cakes. But as time has gone by, they have gotten more and more elaborate, and in some cases, dangerous.
In some cases, serious injury or even deaths have been reported. Three years ago, a Tannerite explosion at an Arizona gender reveal started a massive wildfire that burned 45,000 acres.
And in 2020, a pyrotechnic device used at a gender-reveal party caused a major wildfire in California.
Will there be any criminal charges?
No charges have been filed as of yet.
The person who purchased and detonated the Tannerite has turned himself in to Kingston police and is cooperating with the investigation. His name has not been released.
"The Kingston Police Department is continuing with the investigation and will make a determination on what charges will be forthcoming," the department said in a statement.
