Dangerous Incident — Acid Bomb

[SUBMAN1]

Dangerous Incident — Acid Bomb - From an email

I would like to relay to everyone an incident that occurred at my home this past Saturday night. My husband and I were sitting with 2 friends in our dining room, which is at the front of our house right next to the front entryway. The lights were on in our dining room, but off outside. At approximately 10:30 pm, there was a very loud pounding knock at our front door. My friend got up to answer the door, but I told him not to. I have a general rule in our house that we do not answer the front door at night unless we are expecting someone. I went ahead and turned on the outside lights to look outside, and then there was a loud explosion directly outside our front door. We then heard a car speed away. When we opened the
front door, we found an exploded Gatorade bottle, and I immediately smelled strong acid. Our front door and outside entry area were covered with the acid.

We called Plano Police, and they also sent out a CSI unit. The officers were clearly disgusted by the incident. They said that they have seen increasing numbers of these "acid bombs", or another version which uses chlorine. Typically though, these have been put in mailboxes or on parked cars. This was the first incident that they knew off where the bomb was used with a clear intent to inflict physical harm on people. It was completely obvious we were at home — clearly visible right in the front of our house in the dining room. The knock at the door was to summon someone to answer it. The police told us that the recipes for these bombs are readily available on the Internet, using easily available ingredients of a common acid and aluminum foil to produce the reaction. The reaction is very predictable, with the explosion occurring about 20-30 seconds after adding the aluminum foil. They said the force of the explosion is near equivalent to that of a grenade, but without the shrapnel. I cannot bear to think of the harm that would have been inflicted on our friend should he have opened the door prior to the explosion.

The police say they are having a very difficult time catching those who are setting off these bombs. They get fingerprints, but unless someone has a prior arrest, or they actually catch someone who matches the prints, this evidence is of no use. It is suspected that it is likely teenagers. We do not know if somehow our family was specifically targeted — which is a chilling thought — however, to me, the idea of someone willing to inflict such physical harm on people randomly is almost more twisted. The police think it was likely random — that our house was just chosen because we were obviously home and we also have a corner house which facilitated the getaway.

The police asked us to pass this information around to as many people in the community to raise awareness of this and other similar incidents. Be vigilant, please report any suspicious behavior, and be careful when opening your door.

[August]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Dangerous Incident — Acid Bomb

I would like to relay to everyone an incident that occurred at my home this past Saturday night. My husband and I were sitting with 2 friends in our dining room, which is at the....

I always thought you were a Dude, dude.

[baggygreen]

Next time you answer the door, do it with a rifle saying gday!

Seriously though, that sorta thing is sick, i agree its probly kids which is worse. As for if they catch em... well in my opinion, that sorta things deserves no less than a 10 or 12 year stint in prison. after parole.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by August

I always thought you were a Dude, dude.

That is from an email. Let me fix it properly!

-S

[SUBMAN1]

Better!

[August]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

That is from an email. Let me fix it properly!

-S

Ok, man I dig it. "Don't ask don't tell"...

[Blacklight]

I have a feeling that this is one of those perpetual chain emails that end up cycling around urban legends. Sure it's possible.. but did it really happen ? Probably debatable.

[Konovalov]

Originally Posted by Blacklight

I have a feeling that this is one of those perpetual chain emails that end up cycling around urban legends. Sure it's possible.. but did it really happen ? Probably debatable.

Ditto.

[sonar732]

Originally Posted by August

Ok, man I dig it. "Don't ask don't tell"...

Y'all kill me. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I was laughing more at the side jokes than paying attention to the story.

Anyway...it's sad what type of "recipes" people can get off the internet now. It's not just the kids either.

[antikristuseke]

The stuff thats available on the internet has been available from libraries for decades.

[sonar732]

Originally Posted by antikristuseke

The stuff thats available on the internet has been available from libraries for decades.

Let's have a show of hands on who's seen How To Make A Bomb in the library? General science experiment books with simple chemical reactions for your science project...yes. In-depth books on how to make a sophisticated bomb...no. Unless I just didn't go to the right library.

[antikristuseke]

If you were interested in making a bomb, a library has all the information you need, but i never claimed it is just as easy to find as on the internet.

[Blacklight]

Yeah. I learned how to make a full on nuclear bomb because of the library and probably would have in my stuped younger years (My wife after hearing some of my stories about my youth wonders how the hell I'm still alive:rotfl: ). I could never get access to enriched plutonium back then though.

Thank GOD me and my friends never built that submarine we were designing (We had pretty much all the parts for it and everything).

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by August

Ok, man I dig it. "Don't ask don't tell"...

Somehow I'm not feeling the love in this thread! :hmm: When i read this, you made me laugh at an inopportune time too - I must clean my monitor of tea that I was trying to drink! I must retaliate - somehow!

-S

[lesrae]

Originally Posted by Konovalov

Ditto.

I was sceptical too, and did my usual snopes check on this sort of story...

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/acidbomb.asp

@subman1

(If you hear of it happening in Somerset let me know)