Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Police arrest Oregon teen, seize explosives

chemcam - 24-5-2013 at 17:28

Story just came out 2 hours ago so there is not much information yet.

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ALBANY, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say they arrested a 17-year-old West Albany High School student at his father's home on Thursday after receiving information he planned to detonate a bomb at a school.

Albany police Capt. Eric Carter says police found at least two explosive devices at the home of the teenager's mother about a mile away. Police said he was arrested Thursday on charges of manufacture and possession of a destructive device.

Carter declined to describe the devices, but he says they could have caused death or significant injuries if detonated.

Albany schools had already been scheduled to be closed Friday.

As a precaution, police say they were conducting a thorough sweep of West Albany High School with a bomb-detecting dog.

Police arrest Oregon teen, seize explosives
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confused - 24-5-2013 at 18:17

This is why we can't have nice things

Finnnicus - 24-5-2013 at 18:28

Confused if SM had a thumbs up button, you'd get my vote.
They were probably AN? (just an assumption from these types of stories.)

[Edited on 25-5-2013 by Finnnicus]

chemcam - 24-5-2013 at 18:32

Not sure about AN. All it said was he had enough to cause structural or bodily harm.

That makes it seem as if having amounts less than enough to cause harm is legal.. I wonder if there is a limit or something. I know a bomb is obviously illegal but what about like under one gram of an energetic material not in a casing. Like loose powder for Deflagration only.. hmm

DougTheMapper - 26-5-2013 at 13:31

People want more freedom to do the things they choose, yet their phobias compel them to report each other of "suspicious" activity in a superfluous manner...

Really, people are just dumb. The perfect citizen does his 9 to 5 and then goes home and watches sports. The majority of people seem to be satisfied by this.

What a life.

Gearhead_Shem_Tov - 26-5-2013 at 17:26

Quote: Originally posted by DougTheMapper  
People want more freedom to do the things they choose, yet their phobias compel them to report each other of "suspicious" activity in a superfluous manner...

Really, people are just dumb. The perfect citizen does his 9 to 5 and then goes home and watches sports. The majority of people seem to be satisfied by this.

What a life.


Well, lots of folks have other hobbies. You can bet birdwatchers, say, would lobby their congress critters if urban birders started being arrested for planning terrorism attacks just because they used binoculars and telephoto lenses near "sensitive" infrastructure. And they would probably be successful in their lobbying.

Maybe home chemists need to cultivate the same sort of "mostly harmless boffin" image that birders have. Hard to do, I 'spose, given the public's near total ignorance of things chemical. As in computing, hackers are easily confused with crackers. And, sometimes, home chemists are up to no good.

Maybe if the public had a chance to read positive news stories about home chemists things could change. We would, however, have to put up with the silly, condescending way we would be usually be portrayed in such stories.

Ah, well, a pleasant fantasy, anyway.

-Bobby

AndersHoveland - 27-5-2013 at 02:36

It is important to remember that the police seized the explosives BECAUSE THE BOY WAS PLANNING TO COMMIT A CRIME with them.
The news loves to sensationalize a story just because explosives are involved. If explosives were as common as guns, I think they would be much less misunderstood.

Story Updates

chemcam - 27-5-2013 at 10:30

This is the most up-to-date information I can find.

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ALBANY, Ore. (AP) — The discovery of six bombs made by a 17-year-old Oregon high school student started with a tip from a 911 caller and Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson says it may have prevented a mass murder.

Authorities in Albany reacted quickly to the tip and seized homemade bombs hidden in the bedroom of Grant Alan Acord, a student at West Albany High School. Acord was arrested Thursday and is being charged as an adult.

Acord had written plans, a checklist and a specific timeline for the attack. The bombs investigators found included pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, a Drano bomb and a napalm bomb, Haroldson said.

The Albany Democrat-Herald reports he will be arraigned Tuesday in Benton County Circuit Court on one count of aggravated attempted murder and six counts each of manufacturing a destructive device, possession of a destructive device and possession of a weapon with intent to use it against another person.

EDIT: Here is a long version of the story with a few more details.
http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Ore-teen-accused-of...
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My Thoughts:
Apparently the explosives that are being talked about are not what I had assumed. Personally, I was expecting a peroxide detonator with an AN charge. All-in-all I am happy he was captured before all this happened, I can't understand why somebody wants such massive death tolls, I bet it was only a couple bullies that caused him to plan such an attack. They say he had a drano bomb.. I wonder how they figured that out since every household has the supplies needed and they must be made at the time of use.



[Edited on 5-27-2013 by chemcam]

AndersHoveland - 27-5-2013 at 11:15

Quote: Originally posted by chemcam  
The bombs investigators found included pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, a Drano bomb and a napalm bomb, Haroldson said.

So in other words, mostly not actually "real" explosives. (roll eyes)

NeonPulse - 7-7-2013 at 18:16

good thing he actually told somebody who was smart enough to tip off the authorities. at least they weren't just chasing their tails this time and actually really prevented a massacre and not just a perceived one because he had some drano in the laundry cupboard and foil in the kitchen....