A couple planted a fake bomb in an elementary school, all because they wanted to use it as a distraction to shoot cops.
There was a box with wires and a timer attached
Zachary Edwards, 35, and Raphel Dilligard, 34, were arrested after they were found to be the ones behind a bomb threat in Magnolia Elementary School.
Captain Jeff Bridges said that the couple "face charges that include making terrorist threats, rendering a false alarm and possessing a hoax destructive device."
Authorities received a 911 call from a woman who said that a Hispanic man placed a package on a pickup truck that was owned by a school cafeteria worker. Inside the package was a box with wires and attached was a stopwatch that was used as a timer.
He disguised his voice to sound like a woman
Dave Hyche, an ATF special agent, said: "When we first saw what we had, we knew this was something to take serious and we put on the full-court press. It disturbed us from the start, I've never seen such a well-orchestrated and rapid response."
Investigators then tracked the bomb's components, as well as the 911 call. They determined that the stopwatch used in the fake explosive device was purchased from Walmart, and they got a list of those who recently purchased a stopwatch. Once they narrowed down the list, they found surveillance footage in a Walmart branch that showed Dilligard buying the stopwatch.
The investigators also found that the one who placed the call was Edwards; he disguised his voice to sound like a woman. He had been traced because the number he used to place the call was connected with a cellphone that he used to own.
They wanted to shoot cops
The pair were eventually taken into custody, and after a period of questioning, they confessed to planting the fake bomb in an attempt to lure police officers and first responders in one place so that they can shoot them.
Edwards added that he also thought of using the bomb threat as a diversion to rob a bank, but he dropped the idea.
According to Hyche, the fake bomb had gunpowder as well as most of the components needed to make a bomb. However, he said that there was no way that the device could be detonated.
Investigation is currently ongoing, and the pair are facing a number of federal charges.
Go to the next page to learn more about what to do in case of a bomb threat.
What should you do in case of a bomb threat?
These days, we can't be too careful, especially when it comes to the safety of our family. While it's true that some bomb threats are just threats, we shouldn't take such things lightly. That's why it's important that we know what to do in case of a bomb threat.
- Keep calm. The number one thing to consider in case of a bomb threat is to keep calm. Panicking or causing a scene can probably make things worse as it might attract unnecessary attention.
- If you receive the threat, take down notes. If you receive a call with a bomb threat, make sure to note the gender of the person, their emotional state, any background noise that might give away their location, as well as ask them for their motive and the location of the bomb. This information is important for an investigation.
- In case you receive a strange package, use your best judgment. If you receive a package and you're not sure where it came from, use your best judgement. Don't open it willy nilly, and check first if there are any signs that might give a clue as to what's inside.
- Call the authorities immediately if you receive a bomb threat. If you receive a bomb threat, make sure to immediately contact the authorities and provide them as much information as possible.
- Move away as quickly as possible from where the bomb is located. If the bomb has been located and identified, be sure to move away as far and as quickly as possible from the bomb's location. If there are multiple bomb threats, go to a safe place as soon as possible.
- Make a mental note of anyone suspicious or any other suspicious events. Be on the lookout for any suspicious personalities and make sure to inform authorities about it. If there are peculiar events that happened earlier during the day, be sure to also inform the authorities.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, al.com, safety.gsu.edu
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