Man arrested in connection with device that exploded outside Alabama attorney general’s office

 1666437254 
1712823530

Attorney General Steve Marshall speaks in Hoover at a law enforcement conference in 2018.

Sherrel Wheeler Stewart, WBHM

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Federal authorities have arrested a man they said placed a homemade explosive device — made with nails and firecrackers — outside the Alabama attorney general’s office in February.

Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, of Irondale, Alabama, was arrested Wednesday on charges of malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Authorities said a device was detonated in downtown Montgomery outside the Alabama attorney general’s office in the early morning hours of Feb. 24. No injuries or significant damage to nearby buildings was reported. The device exploded about 3:42 a.m. on a Saturday.

The device was made with fireworks, nails, metal screws and material soaked in a gasoline or lighter fluid substance, and it was hidden inside a coffee container, prosecutors wrote in a court document.

Federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing, asking for Calvert to be kept in custody, that Calvert had posted a Dec. 12 video on social media expressing his frustration with government. Prosecutors said they also believe he placed stickers, including some with the phrase “Support your local antifa,” on state government buildings on the same night.

Available court records indicated that Calvert will be represented by a court-appointed federal defender, but did not name a specific attorney.

“Thanks to the work of the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners, this defendant is being held accountable for allegedly detonating an explosive device outside of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for acts of violence targeting those who serve the public.”

Calvert had his initial appearance on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Montgomery. U.S. Magistrate Judge Chad W. Bryan ordered that Calvert be held in custody until further proceedings.

“My staff and I are breathing a collective sigh of relief this morning knowing that this individual has been taken off the streets,” Marshall said. “Although more information will be provided in the weeks to come, I think it is safe to say that this was not a random act of violence.”

Federal prosecutors wrote that a security guard with the nearby Southern Poverty Law Center called 911 to report that an explosion occurred downtown early Saturday morning on Feb. 24. A dispatched police officer could not see any immediate physical evidence. Staff at the attorney general’s office found the “remnants of a possible explosive device” when they arrived at work that Monday, prosecutors said.

 

Hyundai still committing billions to Louisiana steel mill after ICE raid in Georgia

The immigration raid last month has analysts questioning whether President Donald Trump’s immigration and manufacturing goals are at odds.

Mental exercise can reverse a brain change linked to aging, study finds

Scientists have found the first compelling evidence that cognitive training can boost levels of a brain chemical that typically declines as people age.

The federal government is still shut down. Here’s what that means across the country

The federal government remains shut down. The NPR Network is following the ways the shutdown is affecting services across the country.

Mamdani’s rise in NYC reflects generational fight within the Democratic Party

Newcomer Zohran Mamdani, age 34, has used social media and big progressive ideas to shoulder past Andrew Cuomo, who's 67 and long a member of Democratic Party royalty.

Trump uses ‘common sense’ to make a political point. It has populist appeal

The phrase appeals more to several demographics that strongly align with Trump, says Republican strategist Frank Luntz, including older voters, for whom he suggests it signals "a more simple past."

Spanish league cancels plans for Barcelona to play regular-season match in Miami

The Spanish soccer league said Tuesday that plans for Barcelona to play a game against Villarreal outside Miami in December have been called off, following increased opposition to the match.

More Front Page Coverage