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It's not weird for the bomb not to explode, because the bomb maker is clearly an idiot. Gasoline, propane tanks and gunpowder are lousy explosives--barely even worth bothering with. If everything had gone perfectly, the bomber might have caused some passers-by some really nasty burns, and maybe some lacerations from flying glass.

Now, somebody reported acetylene bottles in the car. That would work. But that's still amateur hour compared to real explosives like TNT or PETN that are perfectly within the manufacturing capabilities of a real terrorist organization. If the bomber knew how to make a reliable trigger, then he'd know how to make real explosives too. His choice of materials marks him as a lone wacko.