Authorities in New Jersey have revealed that a teenager, who recently turned 18, was found with a significant amount of explosives in his basement. This individual allegedly used his “specialist knowledge” to assist classmates in creating bombs as part of school projects.
One neighbor, Soujanya Gamini, described an explosion that rattled the Cove Road neighborhood, saying, “I thought there was an earthquake or something,” when the incident occurred.
The police were alerted by one of the students, leading to a search of the teen’s home on East Oak Avenue. What they discovered was described by police director Patrick Riley as a “decent sized lab” containing unstable materials meant for explosive devices. The area was quickly evacuated for safety.
Riley noted that the lab contained additional explosives, which were removed due to their volatile nature. He added that a bomb technician observed that this was not the typical home lab one might encounter.
Interestingly, the teen reportedly did not have any specific targets in mind for his creations. Rather, it appears he was attempting to showcase his knowledge to help others in their projects.
“At this point, we’re sure there’s no threat there,” the police chief reassured.
As a precaution, local schools, including the suspect’s own Moorestown High School, were searched by authorities.
The FBI and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office are now involved in the case, and charges are anticipated against the suspect. The authorities have recommended filing charges related to causing widespread injury or damage and possession of destructive devices. Currently, the suspect is not in custody but is being pursued by the FBI.
