What should have been a fun a gender reveal, ended up landing this dad-to-be with a ticket!

Ashley and Jon Sterkel were ready to announce their big news with a bang recently! Their first baby was a boy! But the exploding target they set off that was supposed to include blue smoke to signal the baby boy, ended up being a MUCH bigger blast that anyone anticipated! It also resulted in an unanticipated ticket!

Jon Sterkel, 26, had shot off exploding targets on his acreage of land in the past, but this time, it wasn’t quite the same. After the explosion, people three miles away thought a house had exploded or a car blew up! As soon as Sterkel started seeing the reaction of the loud bang on the local radio and social media, he quickly called the Sheriff’s Office to let them know all was well.

Once everyone’s safety was confirmed, police issued a ticket to Sterkel for setting off an explosive without a required state permit. The violation is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000. Yikes!

Who knew a simple gender reveal would end up being so expensive!

Sterkel said he had no idea that what he did was illegal, but he definitely has been set straight now. “People need to follow the proper protocol. We never knew, and we’ve shot these for years. If you can go to a store and buy it, how in the world can you know it’s illegal?”

Looks like the Sterkels aren’t the only ones who thought this sounded like a good idea on how to announce their baby’s gender! Dozens of YouTube videos show others doing the exact same thing.

Needless to say, if there is ever a Baby #2, they definitely plan to announce the gender in a much more low-key way!

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Original article: Nebraska Couple Announces Baby’s Gender with Exploding Target, Dad Ticketed After Investigation