The shooter probably intended to use the tannerite as a detonator for an ammonium nitrate (ANFO) bomb made from the ammonium nitrate he had in his possession. ANFO bombs are very powerful explosives but they are very stable and can only be detonated by explosive detonator
The shooter no doubt planned to use a ANFO bomb detonated using tannerite as a detonator ignited by a rifle shot
There may be one or more caches of ANFO/tannerite devices hidden in the area that the shooter never got to set off
Looks like he may have had an escape plan using explosions of fuel tanks and ANFO bombs to create diversions as well as mass casualties
If this is true it’s interesting! It’s not something the ordinary good time Charlie gambler would normally know.
It raises the complexity.
I wonder if tannerite would actually set an anfo bomb off...if so I'd expect it to get banned soon.