Suspect Held in Ga. Tech Blast (busy day around Atlanta, huh?)

WXIA TV Atlanta ^ | 10/11/05 | Tracey Christensen

[hispanarepublicana]

Last Modified: 10/11/2005 1:32:42 PM

A person identified as a witness to the placement of three explosives at Georgia Tech is now being called a suspect in the case, according to a spokeswoman for the Atlanta Police Department.

Georgia Tech Police investigators took the so-called witness in for questioning early Tuesday morning, the spokeswoman said. During the course of their interview, they changed their characterization from witness to suspect.

Three explosive devices were found in a courtyard between two Georgia Tech dormitories on the East Campus Monday morning. One of the devices exploded, injuring the grounds worker who found them inside a plastic bag. Two other devices were detonated by a bomb squad.

The custodian suffered ringing to the ears and was treated at a local hospital. The events led to a temporary evacuation of 100 students from their dormitories.

"It is a terrorist act at this point and depending on the outcome of the investigation it potentially could become a federal violation as well," Major C.W. Moss of the Atlanta Police Department said Monday.

The explosives were made up of chemicals placed inside plastic bottles and could have seriously injured someone, officials said. Numerous agencies were on the Georgia Tech campus to help in the investigation.

"It will be a joint investigation between the Atlanta Police Department, the Georgia Tech Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Every possible lead will be followed," said Major Moss.

[LibertyRocks]

There is no indication that this was a "Dry-ice" or "vinegar/baking soda" type bomb. These devices are being referred to as "Soda bottle Bombs" by authorities. The Maj. of the Atlanta PD interviewed says that bombs of the nature found could cause serious injury if enough chemicals are used and/or it is placed within certain environs. I'm no explosives expert, but apparently others who are have said that there are other types of bombs fashioned out of other chemicals that are not as harmless as the ones you describe. Granted, we will have to wait until the lab results come back and they can say what exactly the CHEMICALS in the bottles turned out to be (if they tell us).

These 3 devices were set up to explode WHEN HANDLED. Dry Ice and the other bombs normally associated with these types of things will explode when the contents reach enough pressure to burst the container - they are not designed to explode when handled and will do so on their own whether handled or not...

There was a deliberate attempt to achieve explosion when someone touched these bottles - that IMHO does not fit the normal definition of a "Prank" meant to instill harmless fear/shock which is immediately dispelled when the causative agent is immediately found to be "harmless".

[LibertyRocks]

Suspect in GA Tech Case has been identified see post #56.

Thanks freeperfromnj - Another engineering student, eh? LOL Time to round 'em all up! (JUST KIDDING)

Interesting that his "motives" have no been disclosed. If it was a harmless prank wouldn't they immediately say something? Or do you think it's more of a case of his lawyer telling him not to say anything?

[LibertyRocks]

Story at WXIA updated at 6:57 PM:

Georgia Tech Police investigators took Hollot in for questioning early Tuesday morning, according to an Atlanta police spokeswoman. During the course of their interview, they changed their characterization of Hollot from witness to suspect.

Hollot confessed to dropping the explosive devices from his dorm window as a joke.

My question is if there is a link between this kids' self-described "joke" and the other device found in GA the same day?

[freeperfromnj]

It's hard to say. I guess if we had a picture we could make a better assumption. The picture certainly helped in profiling the OU bomber.

[nevergore]

Yeah...Georgia has been stuck on stupid for years....

NeverGore :^)

[Spunky]

"Do you have links to any news reports about these events?"

Click HereAfter reading this thread, go to posting # 6 and there you will find several other links to articles there.

Also I think indcons on a couple of threads did a complete listing of threads on this topic but I can't find those right now. Maybe you can FreeMail and ask her/him which thread she/he posted them on.

I just noticed while trying to find them she/he said you were doing a nice job on your blog. :-)

[El Gato]

Sounds just like a kook that needed attention and perhaps thought, on his own mind you, that he was more important than he really was.

A kook that just happened to have so much explosives and bomb making stuff in his apartment that it took the bomb squad several hours, and multiple trips with their "bomb trailer", just to haul it all off. When it was detonated at the police range, windows rattled all over Norman. A kook that just happened to have a Pakistani roommate who was not held, although he was taken into custody, who somehow did not know about all that explosive stuff being brewed up in their apartment.

[El Gato]

A dry ice bomb is not a "terrorist incident".

What dry ice bomb? Dry ice bombs do not produce burns, as occured in the Ga. Tech case, and in the other Atlanta area incident, the thing was reported in the linked story to contain gunpowder and a fuse, how much they didn't say.

[FreedomPoster]

Bingo.

Trying to put this stuff in the same league as what went down at OU is just absurd, from what I've seen.

[LibertyRocks]

Hi spunky, thanks for your assistance. I was looking for articles about the events you were speaking of in Washington in particular.

I looked at post 6 and I'm pretty sure I already have all of those. Indcons has done an excellent job compiling all the information!

Thanks for the comments about my blog as well. (o:

[twntaipan]

They should check his computer hard drive for communications with MoveOn.org or other leftist organizations.

[LibertyRocks]

I agree it's not in the same "league" perhaps (yet to be determined dependent upon lab results), but in light of the events at OU, and the bombs found at UCLA last Friday, now the devices on the GA Tech Campus, as well as another device found in Atlanta yesterday a link MIGHT be found.

Also, please keep in mind Al Qaeda's last taped threat which used an AMERICAN college-age student as spokesperson. They specifically mentioned the month of Ramadan, as well as hurting our children.

Absurd? Well maybe to some, but I prefer to err on the side of caution than to ASSUME it means absolutely nothing and might not be related. That, IMHO could cause more harm than good...

[LibertyRocks]

It would be interesting to know what this kid's political leanings are.

[It should be remembered that the "anti-war" crowd has employed terror and violence in its past (Madison, WI back in the 70s). Given their ties with groups like ANSWER and CODE PINK which have aided an abetted these terrorists it's not an easy thing to dismiss as harmless, IMHO.]

[LibertyRocks]

As they say, oftentimes a "picture is worth a thousand words".

[Spunky]

"I was looking for articles about the events you were speaking of in Washington in particular."

Sorry, I didn't understand that was what you wanted. Here is one article I found.

Walla Walla WA bomb threats

[LibertyRocks]

Sorry, that's my fault. I should have been more specific in my original request. Thank you very much for your assistance! (o:
- LR

[wouldntbprudent]

No, Methodist, silly, and he's all upset about the carrot-raisin salad the Lutherans keep bringing to the potlucks!

[brytlea]

It is just never ok to play a *prank* that could cost someone their life, their hand, their hearing, or whatever. I'm sorry, but if these kids are so stupid that they think this is funny and ok, I don't really care if they get some serious penalty. Who with half a brain thinks this is ok?
susie

[brytlea]

I'm having a really REALLY difficult time understanding how anyone past the age of 10 or 12 is so stupid or lacks the foresight to understand that someone could get HURT by an explosive. Maybe my kids were some sort of genuises, but I know they knew that anything that might hurt another person was wrong and that they would be held responsible with dire consequences. Goodness gracious.
susie

[billbears]

When it was detonated at the police range, windows rattled all over Norman

Well I don't know the exact amount of explosives (and BTW neither do you) but looking at the facts about the town, it is 177 square miles in size and has a population of close to 50,000 people. It would take quite a bit of explosives to 'rattle' windows all over Norman

A kook that just happened to have a Pakistani roommate who was not held, although he was taken into custody, who somehow did not know about all that explosive stuff being brewed up in their apartment.

Ah, so we resort to guilty before proven innocent. Goodbye Bill of Rights. You know, I think we just suspend the whole Constitution in advance. Just in case you know...it will set a wonderful precedent when the opposing party eventually comes into power. Oh, that's right, Republicans are always going to be in control...