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Suspect Held in Ga. Tech Blast (busy day around Atlanta, huh?)
WXIA TV Atlanta ^ | 10/11/05 | Tracey Christensen

Posted on 10/11/2005 10:41:29 AM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: US: Georgia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: explosives; gatech; georgia; georgiatech; movealong; oubombing
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To: brytlea

Your all over the place....comparing an attack that takes someones life versus a noisemaker and then not caring if they get a federal felony charge for terrorism regardless of which crime it was?!?!

Gee...which half a brain was that you referenced?

NeverGore :^)


81 posted on 10/11/2005 8:05:39 PM PDT by nevergore (“It could be that the purpose of my life is simply to serve as a warning to others.”)
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To: billbears
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...

I'm not the government, and I'm not restricted by the Bill of Rights in forming my conclusions.

If the Pakistani, assuming he can be found and is has not over stayed is visa and is thus lawfully in the country, is ever charged with a crime, then it will be up to the prosecutor to help the jury reach those same conclusions. All the constitution requires is due process, which could be a military tribunal just as well as a civilian court, if it's alleged that the putative defendant was part of a foreign based conspiracy.

82 posted on 10/11/2005 9:01:00 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: SeeRushToldU_So

Only if his defense is " But I wanted to show my buddies what I could do".


83 posted on 10/11/2005 9:01:22 PM PDT by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: brytlea

...sigh...Today many of these kids have no conscience whatsoever; they have never been taught The Golden Rule; they fill their heads with images of violence from the time they are six or eight with hideous video "games"; they are unchurched...

no wonder so many are savages.


84 posted on 10/11/2005 9:05:01 PM PDT by Palladin (America! America! God shed His grace on Thee.)
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To: Palladin
ur a melodramatic dork. video game savages???? GMAB
85 posted on 10/11/2005 9:14:48 PM PDT by CJ Wolf (BTW can someone add 'zot' to the FR spellchecker?)
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To: billbears
It would take quite a bit of explosives to 'rattle' windows all over Norman

Yea it did take quite a bit of explosives. We have earwitness reports, not second hand, that the explosion did just that. Actually it might not take as much as you might think. I recall being at a firepower demonstration at Ft. Sill. The Air Force Reserve sent a four ship of F-105s. One of those dropped a 500 lb bomb a couple of miles away, and it felt like someone hit you in the chest and stomach with some large, heavy but not too hard, object. Remember that a 500 lb bomb only contains about pounds of explosive material.

Our main earwitness, FReeper PhiKapMom (who I know personally as well as FReeperly) was about 4 miles away from the police range and it rattled her windows. The 911 operators got so many calls that the local (actually OK City 20+ miles away) TV stations had to run a crawl during their 10 PM news (the explosion was about 9:15 IIRC) explaining what the big boom was.

The police range is just south of the big dot on the map at your link along Highway 9. Not many folks in town live more than another 2 miles farther than PKM from the police range, and most live much closer. There's not many houses in the edges of the city proper. And the range is near the southern limit of where there are houses. with the river being the city limit on that side.

86 posted on 10/11/2005 9:40:06 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: El Gato
Remember that a 500 lb bomb only contains about 500 pounds of explosive material.

Oops.

87 posted on 10/11/2005 9:43:03 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: El Gato
Double oops.

Remember that a 500 lb bomb only contains about 500 250 pounds of explosive material.

88 posted on 10/11/2005 9:44:00 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: nevergore

I don't think I made that comparison. I will type this really slowly for you. Pranks that harm other people should be punished. Kids are the responsibility of their parents. Kids who think it's funny to make explosives should be held accountible. I don't see how that's all over the place (altho I do understand that that's one of those phrases that is thrown out to marginalize someone's arguement).

I simply don't believe it's ok to pull a prank that hurts someone or could potentially hurt someone. And I think it's foolish to say that something is just a prank, boys like to blow things up, boys will be boys, or whatever. You are free to disagree.
susie


89 posted on 10/12/2005 5:47:41 AM PDT by brytlea (All you need as ID to vote in FL is your Costco card...)
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To: Palladin

And unfortunately, there are adults out there who laugh this stuff off.
susie


90 posted on 10/12/2005 5:48:38 AM PDT by brytlea (All you need as ID to vote in FL is your Costco card...)
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To: El Gato; LibertyRocks

Today, for the third time, on local atlanta radio they say evidence points to a dry ice bomb. So we'll see.


91 posted on 10/12/2005 6:40:30 AM PDT by rattrap
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To: brytlea

I don't think I made that comparison. Yes you did, you lumped devices that cause death with devices that make noise. I will type this really slowly for you. I understand your handicap but fortunately I read quickly, unfortunately for you did not type slowly enough to correct your numerous mis-spellings. Pranks that harm other people should be punished. Agreed. Kids are the responsibility of their parents. Agreed. Kids who think it's funny to make explosives should be held accountable (misspell).Agreed. I don't see how that's all over the place (altho  (misspell).  I do understand that that's one of those phrases that is thrown out to marginalize someone's arguement) (misspell) .You understood wrong, it was a literal reading of your post that drew the conclusion. Your response was a very poor attempt at deflection, please try again.

I simply don't believe it's ok to pull a prank that hurts someone or could potentially hurt someone. And I think it's foolish to say that something is just a prank, boys like to blow things up, boys will be boys, or whatever. You are free to disagree. Thank you for the permission to disagree your opinion. BTW, I never stated that they should not be punished.

 

The issue is proportionality …..The three “bombs”  that were in a plastic garbage bag dropped out a dorm window by a GT Freshman consisted of three 1 liter plastic coke bottle, baking soda and a little vinegar, the bottle expands, then ruptures, sometimes producing a loud “pop”.  For this horrible crime the student is going to be prosecuted under the Federal Felony statutes for Terrorism?  The same statute that Timothy McViegh of the OK city bombing was prosecuted?

 

Perhaps you agree with the public school policies of prosecuting kids for possession of a dangerous weapon when they bring a GI Joe to school or a plastic cake knife with a birthday cake.  This was the excess I was referring to, there was no “boys will be boys” mentality.

92 posted on 10/12/2005 6:54:21 AM PDT by nevergore (“It could be that the purpose of my life is simply to serve as a warning to others.”)
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To: nevergore
Thank you for the permission to disagree your opinion.

Sadly, whenever we point out other people's typos, we risk having our own pointed out. (you missed a word, I believe--I normally avoid ever making comments on people's misspellings, typos, etc since we all make them but...) Anyway, I've made my point. As I said you are free to disagree (not giving permission, simply stating a fact). Have a nice day. susie

93 posted on 10/12/2005 6:59:17 AM PDT by brytlea (All you need as ID to vote in FL is your Costco card...)
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To: LibertyRocks

I've known Thad for more than a decade and I can tell you that he has no political leanings. He's as apathetic towards politics as they come.

Also, what the hell happened to looking at the media with a critical eye? A lot of you people are just lapping up every word they say. The media is dropping big bad words like "household chemicals" (a much scarier way of saying dry ice and water) and they're continuing to call him a terrorist even after the police and Georgia Tech administration have long since conceded that it was not a terroristic act. It may have been stupid (although as someone who has set off fireworks I feel like a hypocrite saying that), but it wasn't malicious and the injuries of the custodian are likely exaggerated.

To the guy who said that he heard that there was gunpowder and a fuse, prove it. Give a source. Nobody has said that there was gunpowder and a fuse, you're just making stuff up. Have you seen the pictures of the bottle that was used? It wouldn't still be in mostly one piece if it was anything more than a dry ice bomb.


94 posted on 10/12/2005 7:32:52 AM PDT by ebpicky
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To: ebpicky
I said I'd glady eat crow if it turned out to be nothing more than a prank, and I gladly will. The updated information points to the fact that it was a "joke" (Police releases and Hollot's own confession). The "Terrorist" thing is because that's what these acts are defined as under Georgia Law currently - rightly so or not...

I'm inclined to believe what you've said about Thad, but also remember that's what they said about Hinrichs as well - that he was 'apolitical' and the investigation around that issue is pointing way far away from that. This is not to say it's not true in this case, but you have to understand where I'm coming from here...

I'm not lapping up every word the media says - on the contrary. I never made an assumption that he was a terrorist with Islamic ties or sympathies... I simply said it should be looked at.

I understand that with close ties to the family and the person himself that you would view our questioning as a personal assault. Please be assured that at least my intentions are only to keep people aware that there is a real threat that exists within our country and to sweep incidents like this under the rug and not examine them closely is IMHO dangerous.

You've got to admit that what he did was as STUPID as it gets in today's world... I mean 12 bottle bombs? What in the world was he thinking???
95 posted on 10/12/2005 5:45:01 PM PDT by LibertyRocks (OUBombing summary (UPDATED 10/12) @ http://sweetliberty.alfablog.com/)
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To: All; rattrap; El Gato

Well that would definitely be a relief. I responded above this post to someone who said they had known Thad for over a decade, that he is apathetic towards politics, etc... He is saying that it is a dry ice bomb, but who knows - and how does he know? Anyway...

According to police statements and quotes from Mr. Hollot's confession it appears it was a VERY STUPID joke. Mr. Hollot confessed to "dropping" at least 12 such bottle bombs - the later ones retrieved by himself after he heard about what happened re: police and such.

My question is how could an obviously bright student think that these "pranks" were OK - especially given today's world. ALSO - an important point... if these were dry ice bombs how could he retrieve them presumably HOURS after he - "dropped" them out of his window? (That last statement is from media reports of his confession).

Considering that everything I've read about dry ice bombs (Not much except a NJ Fire Safety publication on the 'net) say that when the pressure climbs high enough they explode spontaneously - it doesn't really match up IMHO.

Perhaps someone could educate me on how these could've been "dry ice" bombs if they didn't start the reaction after being "dropped".


96 posted on 10/12/2005 6:06:34 PM PDT by LibertyRocks (OUBombing summary (UPDATED 10/12) @ http://sweetliberty.alfablog.com/)
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To: LibertyRocks

If the water and dry ice were somehow kept seperate until the bottle was moved I suppose it would last for a little while but it wouldn't last very long.

I agree it was a very stupid prank in this day and age.


97 posted on 10/12/2005 7:38:45 PM PDT by rattrap
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To: rattrap
If the water and dry ice were somehow kept seperate until the bottle was moved I suppose it would last for a little while but it wouldn't last very long.

Dry ice by itself will blow up a capped piece of heavy pipe. Dry ice (frozen C02) doesn't melt, it sublimes, converting directly from the solid to the gaseous phase. It will do this at most any ambient temperature found on earth, and at pressures well above the failure point of most pipe, let alone a plastic bottle. All it takes is enough C02 to last until enough pressure builds up to burst the container. I suspect the role of the water is to improve heat transfer into the CO2, thus speeding up the subliming and making the thing go bang sooner.

98 posted on 10/12/2005 7:54:57 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: nevergore
For this horrible crime the student is going to be prosecuted under the Federal Felony statutes for Terrorism?

Apparently not, but rather under Georgia statutes against terroristic acts. I suspect not even that, rather it will be plea bargained down to something more realistic for the offense. It's serious offense, something like criminal negligence at least, but not like trying to blow up a backpack bomb, or bombs, in a stadium containing around 84,000 people.

99 posted on 10/12/2005 8:08:00 PM PDT by El Gato
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Comment #100 Removed by Moderator


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