Mystery or menace? Tipton's nightly 'boom' becomes local phenomena, police target

Jan. 27—TIPTON — Some love it. Some hate it. The Tipton Police Department says it's illegal. Others say it's just a fun mystery.

People might not agree, but one thing's for sure: if you live in Tipton, you're talking about it.

The Boom.

For weeks now, residents from all around the city have reported a flash of light in the sky followed immediately by what almost sounds like crack of thunder. The explosion almost always happens precisely at 6:15 p.m.

Sometimes it's just one boom. Other times, there might be two or three.

Who's setting it off? No one knows. Or at least, no one is saying. The explosion is in a different part of town every night. Some have nicknamed the person the "Unaboomer."

The earliest report came from a Facebook post on Jan. 8 on the Tipton County Community page saying they heard a "big boom" in Tipton Estates Mobile Home Park.

Over 110 comments followed, with people saying they also heard the sound. Some people said they heard it in Kokomo. Others speculated it was a "frost quake" because the ground froze quickly. Some speculated it might have been a meteor.

But the booms kept coming, and the Facebook posts haven't stopped.

Since then, the Tipton County Community page and has become inundated with a frenzy of posts talking about what's become known as "The Boom."

Residents post pictures and videos nearly every day of standing outside just before 6:15 p.m. waiting for the explosion. Others post with excitement that they finally saw it happen.

Then there are the satirical posts that have sprouted up from all the attention.

"Today on 'Days of our lives Tipton edition' we eagerly await the 6 o'clock hour," one post said. "Will there be a boom? Will there be 2? Or maybe 3? If we don't hear any then what does that mean???? Did they die? Get arrested? Run out of explosives????"

Another post said, "I heard the boom last night as well in Tipton! I am positive that it is a sonic boom, caused when a time traveler goes from one dimension to another!"

It's become such a local phenomena that residents can even order t-shirts from a local maker that say "I survived the BOOM of Tipton County. Curiosity 6:15PM."

For some, the mystery of who's setting it off — and why — makes for some fun local entertainment.

But others aren't so amused. More and more posts are popping up saying the explosions are terrifying their pets or setting off their post-traumatic stress disorder.

"One of my dogs has about had enough," one person posted on the Tipton County Community Facebook page. "Seems no one cares about legal anymore."

And as it stands, the boom is not legal, according to Tipton Police Officer Brad Robins. A city ordinance bans the use of fireworks in town any time other than June 29 to July 9. He said officers have identified the explosion as some kind of aerial-style firework device, although what specific kind is unknown.

"When it comes down to it, we do have an ordinance in place for the city of Tipton that does not permit this," Robins said. "By ordinance, it is illegal."

The police department made that known on a Facebook post Wednesday, saying they have received "numerous questions" about the boom.

"While some people find the curiosity of the noise and source of the noise amusing, others that live in the city do not find it amusing or comical," the department said in the post. "Our military veterans, older population, and families with pets would respectfully ask that the parties responsible for the noise please cease the activity."

All the comments in response to the post supported the department's request for the perpetrator to stop setting off the fireworks.

One person posted that a friend with PTSD from her time serving in Afghanistan ducked under the kitchen table to hide when the boom went off.

Robins said that when it comes down to it, it's all a matter of respect for everyone in Tipton.

"If everybody could just do what is right, we wouldn't be in this predicament," he said. "What you think is funny may not be comical to somebody else. On top of that, we do have a set of rules that prohibits this inside the city, so simply follow those rules. Do what's right."

But none of that has brought an end to the boom. Just hours after the department made the post Wednesday, the explosion happened again at 6:15 p.m. People on Facebook reported hearing it Thursday near Country Living mobile home park.

Robins said no one has reported any property damage or personal injury due to the explosion, and people aren't calling 911 to report the boom.

But regardless, he said, it's still illegal. And it could end up costing the perpetrator. According to the city ordinance, a first violation can come with a fine up to $150. A third violation could cost up to $750.

Carson Gerber can be reached at 765-854-6739, carson.gerber@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter @carsongerber1.