Posted on 10/02/2005 9:13:39 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
NORMAN - Local and federal law officers worked Sunday to remove what was described as a cache of explosive material from the apartment of a man who died in a bombing the night before.
Joel Henry Hinrichs III, 21, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., died in the explosion, FBI officials said.
Investigators believe Hinrichs detonated a bomb about 8 p.m. Saturday, just 100 yards away from a packed football stadium.
Officials confirmed Sunday a cache of explosive material later was found inside Hinrichs residence at the university- owned Parkview Apartments, southeast of Lindsey Street and Stinson Avenue.
The FBI, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and Norman polices bomb squad were removing the material Sunday evening.
Police were overheard telling residents it would take several trips and could take up to 24 hours to remove it all.
Four buildings at Parkview Apartments, including the building where Hinrichs lived, were cordoned off with police tape.
Mike McMahon, who lives across the street from Hinrichs building, said he was on his porch at 3 a.m. Sunday when they (police) started moving in.
Thats when the (yellow crime scene) tape went up, McMahon said.
Whitney Pearson said she woke at 9 a.m. to find police blocking access to George Street where she lives. Across the street, she could see crime scene tape snaking around buildings at Parkview Apartments.
I talked to police, and they told me I would be safe as long as I stayed on my side of the tape, Pearson said.
OU and Norman police officers were posted at intersections to keep people away from the taped-off area. FBI and ATFE agents could be seen moving in and out of the buildings most of the day.
A canister trailer used for detonating or transporting potentially explosive material was being used to haul items away.
They started removing items after 7 p.m.
On Sunday, Boren said reports about authorities finding an unexploded bomb Saturday night were false.
Investigators did set off a second explosion, but it involved a suspicious object located near the blast site that did not contain a bomb, Boren said.
Law enforcement acted quickly and efficiently responding to the emergency, Boren said.
Student safety is our number one concern, Boren said.
FBI investigators packaged and removed the bench where the bomber was seated when the explosives went off.
A scorched patch marred the sidewalk where the bench had been removed.
Crime scene tape blocking access to the South Oval was removed by Sunday afternoon. Tape was repositioned around a bus and limousine parked on the oval in front of George Lynn Cross Hall, OUs botany-microbiology building, prior to Saturday nights game. Blood spattered the lower length of the bus.
No other damage to the area, including the microbiology building, was apparent.
Officials said Hinrichs motive for blowing himself up Saturday near the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during the second quarter of OUs game against Kansas State remains under investigation.
OU President David Boren said Hinrichs was a student who had very, serious personal problems that led to this tragic death.
Because of what happened, Boren said, the FBI had taken over the investigation.
Boren said the student had explosives strapped to his body.
Investigators would not say whether they believe Hinrichs intended to go inside the stadium before the detonation happened.
"We are dealing with an individual death caused by an explosive device, Boren said. There is no continuing threat to the students at OU.
Boren said OU classes would be held as usual Oct. 3.
Notified of his sons death Sunday, Hinrichs father said he was still processing what happened and did not trust himself to say much.
I dont want him defined by whatever limitations led him to this, said Joel H. Hinrichs Jr. of Colorado Springs. He was quite introverted. He was a very quiet, introverted, intelligent young man. I cant approximate what led him to make such a final decision.
Hinrichs Jr., who broke down in tears during a brief phone interview with The Oklahoman, said he plans to have his sons remains cremated and the ashes sent back to Colorado.
Thank you, malakhi, for finding that post. That was where I had read about it. I probably shouldn't have repeated it since I do not know for a fact if that source is accurate. :)
Boren probably doesn't know. He's just assuming that because the guy killed himself. However, his fraternity brothers to a one all insisted just the opposite. I'd like to hear what the father says once he feels like he can talk about it.
I saw that too. We made sure to watch Ch. 9 after your post about the Homeland Security official interview. His fraternity brothers seemed to think he was not at all troubled.
Now it's getting real interesting.
"Unless this is is a hands-on kind of university President, how the heck does he KNOW that Hinrichs had "very, serious personal problems that led to this tragic death"."
Maybe the FBI and HLS alerted Boren and the OU Campus security about the Jihadist connection before this tragic action by Hinrichs.
Interesting thought, Grampa Dave. You could very well be right about that. I had read on FR that some felt it was unusual for bomb-sniffing dogs were used to sweep the area before the game started. If that is true, then perhaps the FBI and HLS did have information prior to the bombing. I'm hoping we will learn more as I do believe the public has the right to know if this was in fact a terrorist attempt.
My trophy wife and I were on vacation and didn't get back until Friday. The Fox News story banner kept saying that the Terrorist Threat level had been raised, and they never said why.
Then, PKM told us about the increase security at the game before the fans even got in.
I don't know how I missed that, but I did. I didn't know that the "threat level" had been raised but then again, even though we did have Fox News on most of the time over the weekend, I wasn't always in the room and we were mostly listening not viewing; so I would not have seen the banner.
This sure is a mystery to me.
Glad you saw that too! Two and two are not adding up!
It was a mystery to us, but we had been out of the linkage for over a week.
fyi
Absolutely!
Have they disappeared....are they being interviewed by the FBI?
Something is not adding up.....that's for sure.
Another fact missing....was his room in a University Dorm or in a Frat house?
Where were the alleged Muslims residing?
Did they have access to his ( Joel Henry Hinrichs III) room?
Answers ....my first question!
According to local reports, he had moved out of a reportedly nice frat house and into a rather dingy, run-down apartment earlier this year. PKM might know more about this.
Sounds to me (ok, I happily accept the tinfoil hat) as though some radical Islamics saw in this guy a good bombmaker and stooge, and put him up to this. Just my theory. Some reports (links in above posts) suggest they might have found Islamic literature (probably in English--no indication he spoke or wrote in other than English) in his apartment, but no confirmation in any of the news.
Let's face it, no young flyover country boy would choose this method of suicide without some help.
On that hugely large thread begun the day it happened, someone posted a good map of where everything is. There was a mosque not far from his apartment--but it should be noted, not far from a LOT of apartments.
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They must be using technology that triggers any electrical charge within a specific perimeter.
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Maybe we could build giant muslim bug zappers around the perimeter of public gatherings. *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop*
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