Johnson Park nerves rattled after “WWII bomb” detonated off Black Ranch

JOHNSON PARK — Residents of the small, unincorporated Intermountain community of Johnson Park, whose nerves were already rattled after a home invasion and shots fired last night, were further shaken – quite literally – by what early reports have indicated was possibly the controlled detonation of a “WWII bomb” earlier this evening, Wednesday, April 3.

The detonation occurred in the Black Ranch area of Johnson Park, a community of just more than 400, northeast of the nearby town of Burney.

Although a man was arrested after last night’s violent incident, deputies investigating the shooting later reported finding a “suspicious device” inside a backpack at the man’s home in the 21000 block of S. Vallejo St. However, it was not immediately known if the explosion that rocked Johnson Park area homes tonight was the device found the prior evening.

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In the wake of last night’s shooting, Johnson Park area residents began noticing heavy law enforcement presence and activity along the 38000 block of Hwy 299E, and on Vallejo St. earlier this afternoon, several hours before the reported explosion.

At precisely 5 p.m., an enormous blast was both heard and felt and at least one Johnson Park-area social media-based neighborhood watch group lit up, with area residents asking each other if everyone was OK, and if anyone knew where the “huge blast” had originated.

Some area residents, especially those between Oregon and 3rd streets – just a few streets away from where the prior night’s “suspicious device” had been recovered – reported feeling their homes shake from the blast and subsequent shockwave. One resident also reported several small items falling off the walls and shelves of her N. Cottonwood St. residence.

Smoke seen rising from the backyard of one 2nd St. property in the moments immediately after the explosion caused a brief scare for some area residents who ran to the home to check on its occupants. However, closer examination revealed the smoke to be from a smoldering leaf and debris burn pile.

An official familiar with the detonation later reported that an IED – or Improvided Explosive Device – which he described as a “WWII bomb” had been taken to a safe location off of Black Ranch Rd., where Shasta County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad members detonated the object and “rendered it safe.”

The official did not specify if the detonated device was related to last night’s home invasion and “suspicious device” recovery. Requests sent to Shasta County Sheriff’s Office for confirmation of details gathered at the scene and immediately afterward for this initial report had not been responded to as of this publication.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

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Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.