WEST JORDAN, Utah — Residents of West Jordan and Kearns were awakened by startling “booming” sounds early Saturday, causing alarm and confusion. According to several reports, the sounds occurred around 1:30 a.m. and were described as explosive, with accompanying flashes of light visible in some areas.
Local resident Lela Martinez described the noises as startlingly loud, akin to a shotgun being fired nearby. “It was so intense, I thought perhaps there had been some kind of explosion outside our house,” Martinez commented. Similar sentiments were echoed across the neighborhood, with multiple community members reporting shaken windows and rattling wall decor.
Danielle Winch, another West Jordan resident, managed to capture the phenomena on her home security system. Her footage revealed two distinct booms within seconds of each other, each punctuated by bright flashes. The second boom, accompanied by a high-pitched whistling sound, led some residents to speculate whether fireworks might have been involved.
Further adding complexity to the situation, Winch recalled an identical occurrence on September 29, stressing the recurrent nature of these disruptive events.
Kearns Mayor Kelly Bush addressed the community’s concerns on social media, urging anyone with similar recordings or additional information to assist the local police in their investigation.
NASA’s Utah ambassador, Patrick Wiggins, weighed in on the phenomena, suggesting that it was unlikely to be caused by a meteor. “The interval between the appearance of the flashes and the arrival of the sound was too short for it to have been a meteorite,” Wiggins explained, dispelling one of the more speculative theories circulating in the community.
This incident brought to mind other unexpected disruptions documented within the region. Previous sources of similar disturbances have included military operations at the nearby Tooele Army Depot, where expired munitions were detonated, and at the Utah Test and Training Range. Historical data recalls how sonic booms from Hill Air Force Base’s fighter wing training exercises had also rattled residents along the Wasatch Front.
In an effort to pinpoint the origin of these mystery sounds, local authorities and independent experts have begun collaborating on an investigation. Similar incidents in the past have ranged from confirmed meteors shaking multiple counties to human-caused explosions.
While the community awaits answers, the sudden, unexplained nature of these sounds continues to stir curiosity and concern among the residents of West Jordan and Kearns. As investigations continue, officials have assured the public they are doing all they can to uncover the source and ensure community safety. The collective hope is that identifying these mysterious booms will better prepare the community to address such surprises in the future.