Bomb Blast at University of Oklahoma (Breaking on Fox) - suicide bomber at OU

Fox News/NewsOK.com ^ | oct. 1, 2005

[blogblogginaway]

From Staff Reports
NORMAN -- An explosion near the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord Family-Memorial Stadium killed one person Saturday, OU officials said.

The explosion happened at the courtyard near the George Lynn Cross Hall, Botany-Microbiology Building on OU's campus, which is west of the stadium, according to Sgt. Gary Robinson of the University police department.

The explosion happened during the second quarter of Oklahoma's game against Kansas State.

After the explosion, police set up a perimeter of several blocks and made fans exit the stadium to the east.

[teenyelliott]

No one is panicking. We are just discussing.

And in case you didn't know, FR has been all over many stories, breaking some, and holding the media feet to the fire on others.

If you don't want to participate in this thread, then go play somewhere else.

Wandering around this thread telling everyone that they are chicken little is not a good way to begin your freeperidity.

[Eastbound]

Thanks for the report. Apparently the technique worked over there.

[El Gato]

OPINION: So, it's possible it was a work accident, then.

Yes, which is why I spoke of the chances of a work accident, not the certainty of one. Hopefully time will tell.

[kcar]

Thanks. I was wondering if they had timed the second bomb to go off again during the game. So if there were two loud explosions in a short interval and that was generally heard and then reported to everyone inside the stadium, the people there would be left to wonder, could there be more? Like Travis McGee's book, Enemies Foreign and Domestic, the panic to escape quickly could kill more people than the blast itself, and would make for more dramatic film footage, from the prospective of terrorists.

Be nice to find out when that second device was timed.

[appalachian_dweller]

Thanks Gummy! I did see it. In fact I posted the link over at the Threat Matrix #31 thread.

Time will tell what this was. I have my own thoughts.

Paranoid if nothing happens. Prepared if we get hit again. Yea, that's me.

Stay safe FRiend!!

[teenyelliott]

General Richard Meyers is a KState alum.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Placemark

[ArmyTeach]

American restraint might depend on the frequency and intensity of such attacks as well as the competence of the government in preventing the attacks. I have yet to understand how the government can prosecute and incarcerate a dead terrorist and I'm not sure the government is ready to be proactive against known terrorist cells. Somehow these people have managed to create for themselves comfortable politically correct protected bubble.

[ariamne]

Interesting. But no matter what really occurred, it can safely be reported as a suicide, right?

[livius]

When I read about the OU event this a.m., I recalled this post - thanks for finding it.

I thought it was odd, btw, that the folks at OU were clearly on the lookout for some sort of bomb attempt. The stands were searched with dogs before the game, and the normal pattern of releasing people and letting them reenter through certain points was apparently also suddenly changed. (That would have been just around the time of the bombing, I believe.)

[An.American.Expatriate]

Is it possible that the Bomb Squad detonating the second device is what shook the stadium?

No. Second Detonation was AFTER the game as the people were leaving... 9PM or so....

[null and void]

He actually felt the heat from the bomb blast and was thrown back. Then he took off running along with several others toward Elm to get as far away as he could.

Good plan!

[teenyelliott]

Well, now that is certainly tin foil material. My gosh.

[blogblogginaway]

Well it's been over 12 hours since this incident and by all press accounts we are told that one individual was killed by an explosion in an apparent suicide. There are also reports of other 'explosive' devices being found and detonated nearby.

So let me get this straight. IF this lone suicidal person had killed others nearby when he exploded himself, would the headline be .............. Person Uses Bomb to Commit Suicide Accidentally Killing 20 Others?

[JustaCowgirl]

Right! Stuff like this happens every day. Bombs go off outside crowded stadiums and nobody says jack. Why should they? Just a suicide that couldn't find a bridge to jump off.

I know I've been to several college football games where a bomb big enough to shake the entire concrete stadium went off on-campus during the game, and nobody thought a thing about it. Everybody just looked at each other and said, 'Oh well, just another student suicide.'

I mean, haven't you?

[Spunky]

"I know some of those folks in the pictures."

PhiKapMom, do you know them well enough that they would tell you the real scoop? Not what the media (as little as there is) is saying. They are saying it was an individual suicide and that the second bomb they talked about being detinated was not a second bomb but only a device the bomb squad used to make sure there was no second bomb.

See if you can get the real scoop for us.

[johnny7]

I can see not releasing the name... but was it a student... a citizen... AN UNDOCUMENTED, MIDDLE-EASTERN MALE IN HIS MID-20's?

They 'gotta have something to call it a suicide fer 'crissakes.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Of course that is just a theory, that the "bomber" was going to wait for the stadium to empty because there would have been a lot of people in that area.

The blast must have been loud to hear it over 84,000 screaming people, at least one band and a speaker system announcing the plays of the game.........

[livius]

There are a lot of Islamist connections with OK, and have been for many years now.

Also, for a little more hysteria, I do recall that one of their recent ravings (either Osama or Zarkawi) included some reference to striking at the "American heartland."

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with speculating on these things. That's what forums like this are for. However, I can see good reasons - with all the games going on today - for the media not to be too ready to broadcast this all over the country. (Although I imagine law enforcement is certainly taking notice!)