Oak Creek Armory Cannons 'Cool Wakeup Call,' Surprise To Others

OAK CREEK, WI— A series of blasts Tuesday morning at the National Guard Armory in Oak Creek left some residents scratching their heads.

The ceremony came as a surprise for some, as its series of cannon rounds rang off Tuesday morning.

An official from the Wisconsin National Guard told Patch that the blasts were blank rounds from 105 millimeter Howitzer artillery.

The rounds were part of a ceremony from the 1st Battalion of the 121st Field Artillery Regiment, the National Guard said. The ceremony happens every two or three years and marks a change of command.

The cannons signaled that the battalion was receiving a new lieutenant colonel, the National Guard said.

Oak Creek Police Department told Patch that an officer responded to a citizen's call about the blasts. The officer's report confirmed the blasts, and attributed them to the ceremony at the National Guard Armory at the corner of Howell Avenue and Groveland Drive.

Oak Creek Police Department said that the blasts posed no harm and did not cause any injuries.

Residents speculated in neighborhood Facebook groups on what exactly the sound was, now clarified to be blank artillery rounds.

One resident said on Facebook that they "thought there was a gas explosion next door." Other residents called it a "cool wakeup call" or thought that something may have hit their house, they said in Facebook neighborhood groups.