US

‘It Literally Exploded in His Hands’: ATF Offering $10K in Phoenix ‘Flashlight Bomber’ Case

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) announced in a press release Thursday that they are offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Phoenix serial “flashlight” bomber.

There have now been three instances of an improvised explosive devices (IED) found hidden inside plastic, yellow hand-held flashlights in Phoenix, turning a once innocent household device into a symbol of fear in the city.

According to a report from KSAZ-TV in Phoenix, the first IED exploded on May 13 in Glendale, Ariz. – a major suburb of Phoenix – when a woman discovered one of the rigged flashlights and attempted to turn it on. It exploded, causing only minor scratches and bruises to her face and hands.

The very next day, a man was working in different part of Glendale and found a similar flashlight in a ditch. When he tried to power on the flashlight it too exploded, again causing only minor injuries.

ATF Offers $10,000 in Phoenix Flashlight Bomber Case Following Three Similar Attacks

Salvation Army where flashlight bomb exploded on May 24. (Source: KTAR)

The most recent bombing occurred at a Salvation Army distribution center in Phoenix on May 24. Two employees found a yellow, hand-held 6-volt flashlight while rifling through a donation bin. Just like the previous flashlight bombings, the IED exploded after one of them tried to turn the flashlight on. Thankfully, the two employees only suffered minor, non-life threatening injuries.

Salvation Army Capt. John Desplancke told KSAZ the blast was described as similar to a firecracker or an “M-80.”

“He decided turn it on and he had it right here and he started to point it up to see if he could see the light in it — pushed the button and it literally exploded in his hands,” he said about one of the employees.

“We’re confident that the 3 are related,” ATF Special Agent in Charge Tom Atteberry told KSAZ. “We’re concerned that there will be more devices…We‘re concerned that this person will keep building these until they’re caught, and that‘s why we’re aggressively following up on all leads and working it as fast as we can.”

The bombings appear to be random with no targets to speak of and the flashlights are being left randomly for innocent victims to pick up.

“Our immediate concern is that of public safety, if anyone discovers a flashlight that does not belong to them or appears out of place, no matter the color or shape, DO NOT attempt touch or manipulate the flashlight in any way. We are confident the public can assist in providing additional information,” ATF said in the press release.

In another development, KSAZ reported on Thursday that a local woman found a yellow flashlight in one of her car seats after leaving the windows down and had no clue how it got there. KSAZ has the details:

This happened near 23rd Avenue and Campbell.  Police say the woman came out of a home and saw the flashlight in the seat.  She had no idea how it got there and told a friend.

The friend had heard all about the flashlight bombs going off and this one was yellow with a handle — very similar to the ones exploding.  They were scared and put the flashlight in the front yard.  Then they called the police.

“Heroic, perhaps..without thinking it through and they threw it away from the vehicle into another area, which were able to cordon off,” said Phoenix Police Lt. Chris Moore.

The bomb squad was dispatched and it was eventually determined to be just a regular flashlight, but the incident certainly shows how the bombings have impacted the feeling of safeness in the local community.

Comments (26)

  • procholliday
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 10:52am

    darn battery powered flashlights contributing to global warming, looks like another attempt at alternate energy requirements by the gov.

    Report Post »  
  • mary michaels
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 7:17am

    You’re right. Islam is as Islam does.

    I am also hearing about so many dogs being burned and tortured in Phoenix.
    Muslims hate dogs, Coincidence? I think not.

    Report Post »  
  • mary michaels
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 7:15am

    Here’s a hint– go to the local mosques, and look there.
    This is Islamic jihad.

    Report Post »  
  • jabatten
    Posted on June 1, 2012 at 3:03am

    Obviously it’s a kid who read about how to make one of these things and gets a “kick” out of it! I think if it was a “terrorist” or “adult” who knew a little about explosives….there wouldn’t be only minor scratches! They need to concentrate their search for the “Serial Flashlight Bomber” to the local neighborhood teenagers!

    Report Post » jabatten  
  • SgtB
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 10:54pm

    Here’s the problem. WE HAVE AN ATF!!!

    Report Post » SgtB  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:07pm

    Three of these devices, the flashlight bombs have already been confirmed as found or have gone off and injured people; what my concern for Phoenix, where I live, is this:

    Is it a amateur, wanna be terrorist doing this (domestic or foriegn?
    Is this a dry run by one of the terror bands that have crossed the border, to see and measure the response generated in preparation for a larger strike?

    If this is on orders from Obama, with Fed agents or his terror buddies, then I can all but assure this much; when the large one hits, the capital area, with all the banking and such, will be the next ground zero for the blast.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Abraham Young
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 7:32pm

    watch American turn inward on itself because they have lost their guiding light and their sense of patriotism and brotherly love.

    That’s what Marxists do you know. Christians have higher values.

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 7:50pm

      I’m getting paranoid: I cannot trust any Democrat… and I’m not sure about the GOP!

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • Bum thrower
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:54pm

    Here’s how you solve the problem; Don’t turn the damn thing on!!

    Report Post »  
  • Bill Rowland
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:53pm

    Sounds like another Epic Holdup plan to get consrvatives banned. It will turn out that th bombs are ineffective because they are mad with modern cordite gun powders. The BATFE and the DOJ are to stupid to know that the powder burns not explodes. Sounds more and more like incompetent feds.

    OMG 2012

    Report Post »  
  • mr.goodvibe
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:49pm

    Stupid chinese batteries.

    Report Post » mr.goodvibe  
    • RedDawn2012
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:36pm

      Could well be. Lithium-ion batteries can rupture, ignite, or explode when exposed to high temperature. Short-circuiting such a battery will cause the cell to overheat and possibly to explode. Call it Chinese terrorism on a tiny scale.

      Report Post » RedDawn2012  
  • moussiagilda
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:38pm

    Total bull. Nothing like that happened. Enough of your lies.

    Report Post »  
  • LeQuoix
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:29pm

    An uneducated ****** could make something that simple. Lay $10000 that it isn’t a muslim. MAYBE a punk kid tryinto be a real terrorist. Probably some kid under 30 that is mad at the world….. white boy possibly if not a Hispanic that wants to show off to his buddies. If the weapon gets bigger then look at the cartel connection. Muslims wouldn’t waste their time like that. They are more to the point…

    Report Post » LeQuoix  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 8:09pm

      I would hope in the end that its someone who is incompetent at building the things, and a lone nutjob who is mad at the world. May they be caught soon.

      My worse case concern is that this may be a dry run to see and judge responses of the law in Phoenix and the Fed’s in preparation for a more massive strike. Say around the time of the elections.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:05pm

    10K??? Thats all??? They dont want this guy caught at all….Total bogus BS!

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
  • ehayes2006
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 5:59pm

    The bomber is probably an FBI, TSA, or Homeland Security agent. This is being done to instill fear in people so they will start supporting the idea of random traffic checkpoint searches, and to make them approve more funding for those agencies and allow more stringent, freedom-destroying laws to be passed. Either that, or its being done by one of the islamic terrorists who have been getting across our intenionally-left-completely-open southern borders. I would support more the former opinion, since the bombs weren’t lethal. If it ever leaked that our own federal agencies were responsible, there will be less blowback on them because the bombs only caused minor injuries. My guess is that the explosive was probably nothing more than an electrical dynamite blasting cap, which has about the power of an m80. Rigging one of those up in a flashlight would be extremely easy with only minimal training in electric circuit principles. They should start looking at construction companies in the area and making inquiries as to which has had one of their “explosive supplies” caches robbed recently.

    Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:10pm

      “The bomber is probably an FBI, TSA, or Homeland Security agent. ”

      I don’t have a warm fuzzy about the federal government, but if you are going to say that back it up or hold your peace.

      Report Post »  
    • barber2
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:16pm

      oh, brother…

      Report Post »  
    • barber2
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:21pm

      WALK: they just believe in getting the accusations in print. Once something gets into the media, they think that makes it “true.“ Same crowd that claimed Bush ” lied us into war over oil“ and that the Twin Towers ” were the work of the Bush government.”

      Report Post »  
    • common cents
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:26pm

      I’m glad to see people are getting smarter about our disgusting government and just what they are really capable of.

      Report Post »  
    • ehayes2006
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:29pm

      Sure. Look up the details about the “underwear bombers”, the “bridge bombers”, that guy who tried to make a UAV with explosives in it, there are more. In all these cases it was the FBI and other agencies aiding these people and then “exposing” them. Nothing more than fear tactics to justify their existence. Why not this?

      However, I‘m still thinking that there’s a better-than-average chance that it might be a south-border infiltration of real terrorists, which was ALSO done intentionally. The federal government pulled all army reserve people from the border guard about 3 or 4 months ago just for this reason. They are trying to ramp up the incidences of domestic terror in order to support more draconian laws. Don’t forget that the TSA has already invested millions in about a thousand or so “checkpoint stations” which they plan to deploy around our major cities. You sound like one of those people who actually believe that our current government actually has our best interests at heart. They do not.

      Report Post »  
  • Belchfire V-8
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 5:54pm

    I went over there multiple times to keep it from happening here. Now the dirt bags in Washington are facilitating it happening here, by not building whatever fence, guard towers, or any thing else that will physically stop the terrorists from slipping across our borders. Our leaders are blind.

    Report Post » Belchfire V-8  
    • barber2
      Posted on May 31, 2012 at 6:17pm

      they wouldn’t want to “offend” anyone and, thus, lose those votes…

      Report Post »  
  • mike_trivisonno
    Posted on May 31, 2012 at 5:46pm

    The jihad aspect of these incidents, if any, must be ferreted out quickly.

    It is happening in Arizona which is close to Mexico where drug criminals are working with jihadis to hone their killing skills. One in the name of money and the other in the name of Allah.

    Report Post » mike_trivisonno  

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love