No charges to be filed in Thanksgiving Day blast

Ed Lewis and Roger DuPuis, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Nov. 25—SUGAR NOTCH — Hanover Township police on Friday confirmed an explosion heard across the Wyoming Valley on Thanksgiving morning happened in Sugar Notch, where borough police later said no charges would be filed.

According to our newsgathering partners at WBRE/WYOU Eyewitness News, Sugar Notch Borough Police Chief John Doucette told the station a man admitted using Tannerite, an explosive target material, while "sighting in" his rifle.

Sugar Notch's Chief Doucette told WBRE the man shot the Tannerite in a wooded area near culm banks.

"There was no property damage, no injuries, and no laws were broken," he said to the station, explaining that use of Tannerite for target practice is not illegal in Pennsylvania.

Pinpointing the location

Police suspected the blast took place in a wooded area near the Hanover Area Recreational Fields on Earth Conservancy Drive in Preston at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

The explosion was heard throughout the valley as many residents, from Sugar Notch to Wilkes-Barre, Plymouth, Pittston and Exeter, reported hearing the blast in postings on social media.

Earth Conservancy Drive leads to soccer fields for Hanover Area Youth Soccer, a practice field for Hanover Area Mini-Hawks, two other soccer fields (known as the upper fields) on land owned by Earth Conservancy and an entrance to Sugar Notch Trail, a five-mile hiking trail that leads to Holy Family and St. Charles cemeteries in Sugar Notch.

Just off the trail are two makeshift gun ranges, one is located above the upper fields in an open field that overlooks the Wyoming Valley and the other is behind the cemeteries near Warrior Run. Access to the gun range above the upper fields is closed by a road gate near the Mini-Hawks practice field.

However, there are ATV trails throughout the area.

In recent weeks in preparation of hunting season, hunters use these make-shift gun ranges to set their scopes and rifles as gunshots are routinely heard throughout Sugar Notch and Warrior Run. Shell casings litter the ground at both make-shift gun ranges.

Following the blast, Hanover Township Police Chief David Lewis suspected hunters sighting their rifles with explosive Tannerite targets as a theory to the explosion.

The matter was turned over to the Sugar Notch Police Department after it was determined that it took place in that municipality.