FBI Seeks van, possible bomb in mall?

WBZ AM 1030 Radio News ^ | 11/02.01 | WBZ News reporter

[BansheeBill]

Just reported on the 10 PM WBZ radio news broadcast:

FBI is seeking a rental type Ryder Van that was stopped trying to enter the parking garage at the Cambridge Mass Galleria mall at about 7 PM. When the back doors of the van were opened by security personnel, there were 6, 55 gallon drums duct taped to the vans walls along with gas type cans also taped to the walls.

The van then sped off. The FBI is asking for anyone seeing the van with possible license plate of 4789H7 to contact Police or the FBI.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Not familiar with that mall, but if they took out support columns in the garage and the mall was above it you could have plenty of casulties. Not to mention the added tension to the upcoming shopping season.

[FITZ]

If this is a crowded mall, it might be a target of terror, pretty easy to access unlike airports now.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

If the truck was rented and not stolen...
If the driver(s) were of Middle Eastern descent...
I would personally like to dope slap the bugger that rented the truck to them.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

[ruoflaw]

I hope they find them fast before they hit elsewhere...at least no one was hurt...lets hope it stays that way.

[glock rocks]

at about 7 PM

lessee... two and a half hours from cambridge at 50 mph... um...

[meridia]

The Harvard faculty prolly owns the van?!!!

LOL!

[FITZ]

As long as they can roam about this country, we're all pretty much sitting ducks for them. It would make their efforts much much harder if they were trying to kill us from the other side of the world since they have no strong military might. We're not free from this nonsense until they're sent home.

[BansheeBill]

The local, if it bleeds, it leads, TV station, Channel 7 WHDH, has picked up the story with no further info, but they will update the story on their website soon, as they most probably have a camera crew at the mall by now.

Channel 7 website HERE

[Texas Yellow Rose]

How much damage could something like that do? Anyone know?

[untenured]

Seems like an odd place to bomb if you ask me. Unless they were just parked there waiting to go to some other place.

If this really is the preliminary to an attack (and goodness knows there have been many false alarms) I'll bet Harvard or MIT is or will eventually be a planned primary target. These guys are not as interested in causing fear (as many assume) as they are in practical military objectives. Imagine wiping out thousands of the best scientists and future scientists at once at MIT.

[cajungirl]

Isn't the mall closed now? This seems odd to me. You would not wait this late at nite to bomb a mall. You might do it Saturday during the day while it is crowded and the press can get good pics if you are a terrorist and want to get publicity.

[ET(end tyranny)]

If this is a crowded mall, it might be a target of terror, pretty easy to access unlike airports now.

Better be cautious about malls. Particularly the day after Thanksgiving which is often touted as the biggest day for Christmas shopping. I would hope that Mall of America be especially alert.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"How much damage could something like that do? Anyone know?"

That would depend entirely upon what was contained in the drums.

[rolling_stone]

You betcha..you have to have a valid driver's license to rent a vehicle (or insurance is void)and they are supposed to check! Could be a break unless it was a fake DL..Also I wonder what was in the 55 gallon drums..put that security guard in for a reward for thwarting a terrorist act!!!!

[blam]

"So they are targetting the malls. "

Perhaps this one was doing malls. Remember, Osama released them to do their own thing, I expect each has his own favorite, huh?

[Jim Noble]

>>Where is the parking garage in relation to the stores where people congregate?<<

Right under the stores.

[calljack]

Depends on what is in the drums. I seriously doubt it would be gasoline. Gas might be used as an accelerant to get the real stuff going.

[countrydummy]

Any further News?

[cajungirl]

You may be right. And MIT has that tall tower that would seem a good target. Or the yard at Harvard. Of course so many insufferable pricks would be gone that we would have an ocean of words written about their great promise.Sorry, I go on a tangent due to my dislike of Haaaaarvard. Oh and beautiful old Boston, that would be horrible beyond anything.