‘Suburban Suicide Bomber’: Allegedly Obsessed Man Blows Up Female Coworker’s House After Six-Hour Standoff With Police
- Posted on May 19, 2012 at 9:56pm by
Erica Ritz
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Police heard three explosions, before the fire spread rapidly (Photo: CBC News)
Canadians are baffled after a woman from Kamloops, British Columbia was held hostage Thursday night by an apparently obsessed co-worker, who had rigged his body to explode with a makeshift suicide vest.
The woman was returning home with her boyfriend, her four children, and his two children, when they saw the still unnamed bomber. According to the woman’s boyfriend, who asked only to be identified as David, the co-worker approached them calmly, but they all knew something was “off.”
“At the time I knew just from glancing at him that we were in trouble,” David said. “He had a long box in his hand and his hand was inside, while his other hand was preoccupied with something underneath his coat.”
After the co-worker tried to talk to David’s girlfriend, she asked the man to leave and the he became very aggressive.
“At that point I’m still pulling my four-year-old daughter out of the car,” David explained, but it was also at that point that he noticed that the crazed co-worker had a gun.
The eventual explosion (Photo: CFJC TV7)
They tried to hurry everyone into the house and shut the door, but the man with a gun was too quick, inserting the gun between the frame. He fired a shot and missed everyone, but deafened David, who was holding the door.
“The only thing I knew at that point was that we were going to die if something drastically didn’t happen,” he said.
Knowing that they couldn’t shut the door without getting in the line of fire, they all made a break for it amid the confusion. David grabbed his youngest, a three-year old, and raised the alarm with the neighbors as the woman’s eldest, a 13-year old, helped get the rest out the window.
Only the mother didn’t make it out in time, but thanks to a skilled negotiator, she did make it out eventually.
(Photo: CFJC TV7)
“[The negotiator] phoned [the bomber] and he started stroking his ego, saying how smart he was,” David explained, while the police quickly evacuated the neighbors.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Grant Learned explained what exactly the police were dealing with: “The suspect, who is an electrician by trade, provided specific details to the negotiator regarding how the explosives were wired and how he would be able to detonate the devices remotely.”
Apparently, the man had an improvised explosive on his body and a remote with which he could also detonate a nearby van.
(Photo: CBC News)
After nearly seven hours of negotiating, the co-worker let the woman go and cut off communications with the outside world. Roughly ten minutes later, he blew up the entire house.
Authorities were forced to put out the fire from a distance until a bomb squad arrived, concerned that the van would also blow. Thankfully, bomb squad crews were able to reach it in time, and they found in it a five gallon can of gas, a 20 pound propane cylinder, and two improvised metal pipe bombs (one was on the console, the other was hidden underneath the vehicle).
“Police are still on the scene and have cordoned off the area around the house which is now being treated as a crime scene,” Learned said. “Investigators will start the arduous task of sifting through the rubble looking for the remains of the suspect and other evidence related to the explosions from within the house.”
While some reports are saying that the bomber was actually an ex-boyfriend, David told CFJC-TV that his girlfriend only knew the suspect through work.
Branded a “suburban suicide bomber” by the Daily Mail, one neighbor just commented: “Shocking, shocking, shocking. That’s what it is.”
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Comments (45)
burnteye86
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:20amNow imagine that same scene at the front door and imagine David has a Concealed Carry Permit and a Glock on his hip. God bless America.
Report Post »Rollo2
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:43pmGlad there’s no “nut-jobs” in Canada, hey?
Report Post »affinity
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 3:38pmA simple deduction: She was secretly seeing this unnamed lover behind her boyfriends back and he got upset when she promised to leave him but didn’t. She made a fool out of him and he wanted to kill her but his love for her was too great and he had no choice but to allow the love his life, her children and her chosen life partner to escape death. He then committed the ultimate act of sacrifice by blowing himself up. She gets by with murder and he dies a fools death.
Report Post »Kerstile
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 4:12pmUnlike @1ONE1, you need more than a dictionary. I hope you are trying to be funny. If so, you fail. If not, look in the Yellow Pages under psychiatrist.
We do not know ANYTHING about these people.
Report Post »rdietz7
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 5:04pmsounds like you have been in this situation. you say it as though a man has a right to become destructive if a woman makes a fool of him. i say ‘get use to it’, that’s life baby. you gotta roll with it!
Report Post »75andkickin
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 5:25pmSounds like you’re trying your hand at fiction writing. Yuck!
Report Post »ronin2139
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 8:59pmI think that you’ve been reading to many romance novels! If what you’re saying is the case, then why did the guy let her go, and why did he not announce to one and all what his motive was? Most likely he was obsessed with the woman, and was acting out.
Report Post »toto
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:46pmPlease don’t pull a Zimmerman, haven’t had enough of that?
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 9:14amIn America, the typical media would dig for some faith angle and proclaim it loudly if there was anything remotely Christian about the participants, and hush up anything damaging to Pelosi, the POTUS, Clinton, Gore, or Reid.
Report Post »Realman30
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 10:54amDitto!
Now, this lying two-face female has to live with this for the rest of her miserable life.
Report Post »Larry E
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 2:21pmCanada obviously needs stricter laws on the sale and possession of guns, gasoline, and propane, not to mention pipe! I’m sure that some genius Canadian politician will recommend exactly that. They’re sort of like Britain, just a little behind them. They don’t seem to understand that crazy people do crazy things, and not wanting to offend the insane they try to cure the problem by offending most everyone else.
Report Post »1ONE1
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 3:32pmThat’s a load of crap. It’s more difficult to own a firearm here in Canada then it is in the U.S. and anyone can make a bomb out of household chemicals a pop can and some nails. Perhaps there should also be sanctions on picking up junk off the road with your logic or everyone should be licensed to walk into a hardware store. Maybe we should have another license not only to be able to drive but to buy fuel for our vehicles aswell. And don’t forget the propane tanks. I guess we’ll also need to be licensed in order to BBQ.
Report Post »Kerstile
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 4:07pm@1ONE1, please see “sarcasm” in the dictionary.
Report Post »omega2
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 12:54pmA tragedy for sure, but what do you expect with all the TRASH ON TV AND HOLLYWOOD TODAY!!!! THe schools are no better either. Then lets not forget the A C L U, forcing GOD OUT OF THE PICTURE EVERY WHERE!! Time to return to the moral code of years past.
Report Post »forthepeople
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:44amLets outlaw Gas & Propane cans , it‘s Bush’s fault !
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:06am…And ALAH said…”Before I give thee your virgins, I got annother sweeeet job for ya’…I’ll double your virgins if you accept!”
Report Post »gryffn
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 10:49amOh Canada! Hate speech calling for murdering another country’s soldiers is allowed, but a kid wearing a Jesus t-shirt is forbidden? Can you not see the crap going on in the US. And you are following the same path? I was counting on escaping to the North if all goes to hell here in the US. Is there ANY place on earth that has rational people?
Report Post »1ONE1
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 3:40pmTry Antarctica. If all goes to hell in the States don’t expect Canada to be any better. Our nations are so intertwined to the point if you fall, then we fall shortly after.
Report Post »R_U_4_Real
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 4:56pmSwitzerland
Report Post »Rodhaines
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 8:49amThis does NOT surprise me. There is a shortwave broadcaster in nearby Saanich, British Columbia who is a terrorist and actively promotes the killing of U.S. soldiers with “ROADSIDE BOMBS”. The call sign of the station is VE7KFM and the guys name is Karol. You can hear his hate speech on 14.313 Mhz, upper sideband shortwave. Very racist and antisemitic, too. ACTIVELY threatens the sexual assault of one of our own nation’s female FCC officials. Canada’s equivalent to the FCC, Industry Canada, does NOTHING about this animal.
Report Post »CANDLEMAKER
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 8:20amAfter you read the story all you can say is that this world is getting crazier and crazier!!! People are losing their minds!!!! So creepy that people can make these bombs and walk right up to you and push a button and poof…you are gone with them. That woman is so lucky and thank God everyone in her and boyfriend’s family got out alive!! Ditto what a poster had previosly said…KUDDOS to the negotiator that got that woman out alive considering what the bomber eventually did !!! One VERY LUCKY WOMAN!!!
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:25amI sure hope “SSB” doesn’t make it to the Urban Dictionary or text messaging.
OMG SSB : (
Report Post »RugDog
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:22amBlaze of glory. Better than dyeing slowly in a nursing home!
Report Post »Thatsitivehadenough
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 3:29amStfu
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 12:33amNo Human is Totally Rational… and some even less that others!
Report Post »jzs
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:33amMust have been a Muslim.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 7:15amMust have been a DEMOCRAT( Canadian Style)
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 8:42amJust disturbed and lost.
No need to politicize this. Or to racially charge it. Or religiously charge this.
LUKERW makes the only comment worth reading in this thread before my own comment. I sense a lack of grey matter and reason between you other two… I need not mention names.
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 12:31amMy gut says there may be a little more to this story. My guess would be she had an affair with the dude…… Either way, a totally insane ending. I’d also like to know if the guy was on any anti-depressants. I don’t know if any of you remember the story of that crazy Alyssa Bustamante who killed a 9 year old girl next door to her when she was 15. Anyway, I read that they had just upped her dose of Prozac right before she killed. Also think kids that did Columbine Massacre were also on prescription drugs that were “supposed” to keep them in check. In either case I don’t believe it justifies the action taken (killing)… but these psychotropic drugs scare the daylights out of me. Wonder if this guy was also on anything.
Report Post »toto
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 12:09amWhile skepticism may be warranted, the truth is those put on psychotropic drugs are already mentally/emotionally compromised. It is unfair to the blame drugs meant to mediate psychological issues if they fail to address strong underlying issues that become manifest while patients are on the drug. What’s the remedy, sue the crap out of drug companies that produce drugs meant to help? There ought to be due diligence, it called the FDA, prior to licensing a drug for mass distribution, but if the drug passes muster, it is really unfair to blame the drug for all negative outcomes when the drug may well be an innocent bystander. FYI, I have ZERO connection to the drug industry.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:34pmsome people are crazy
Report Post »Dr Vel
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:30pmSelf employment looks better every day.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 1:23amVery wise!
Report Post »Miami
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:28pmOut with a bang and a firey entrance to hell….!
Report Post »Cruelnunusual
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:22pmI assume everyone was alright? They didn’t really say. I cannot imagine how someone could threaten people’s kids like that. A 3-year old…don’t these nuts see enough tragedy on TV?
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on May 20, 2012 at 11:15amProgressives see everything as real…even non-reality tv and anything fiction…”Oh, We Can Doo It!”
Report Post »……..BOOM! With any luck, he will have gone with the fire, too. Just one more “self-eliminating progressive to not go forward with their agenda.
Akridgerunner
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:12pmOther than the loss of a house I’d say this was a win win situation and ended about as well as could be expected. Everyone but the perp made it out alive and well, at least physically, and the dummy who caused it all will not require an expensive trial to prove his guilt. He nicely took care of that himself. Good on the negotiator; I hope he’s damned proud of himself for this save.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 11:02pmWoman gets a new house and all is well…The dumba@@ is dead….Yippie!
Report Post »Too_Far_Gone
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:41pmIdiot, nothing else to write.
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:40pm…
Report Post »Seems like just about anywhere you work, there is at least one male and one female co-worker who seems like stalker material.
Detroit paperboy
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:19pmNut job….
Report Post »John 1776
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:17pm“and two improved metal pipe bombs”
I suspect the author was a victim of spell-check!
Report Post »I suspect that was supposed to be “Improvised.”
(error shows up in two places.)
shorthanded12
Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:11pmMy first thought was a disgruntled wanna be boyfriend..Sick world we live in..I hold off making a pre judgement comments…Like Paul Harvey always said :“An now the rest of the story”
Report Post »objectivetruth
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 12:43pmYeah something tells me she wasn’t the first to be on the end of his obsessive side.I’m just glad they are alright.No one was killed or permanently harmed physically.In time they should be able to get over the mental trauma.Well hopefully.I just hope he didn’t have friends to take up his cause.You never know how luny someone like that is.
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