Posted on 10/02/2005 9:13:39 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
NORMAN - Local and federal law officers worked Sunday to remove what was described as a cache of explosive material from the apartment of a man who died in a bombing the night before.
Joel Henry Hinrichs III, 21, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., died in the explosion, FBI officials said.
Investigators believe Hinrichs detonated a bomb about 8 p.m. Saturday, just 100 yards away from a packed football stadium.
Officials confirmed Sunday a cache of explosive material later was found inside Hinrichs’ residence at the university- owned Parkview Apartments, southeast of Lindsey Street and Stinson Avenue.
The FBI, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and Norman police’s bomb squad were removing the material Sunday evening.
Police were overheard telling residents it would take “several trips and could take up to 24 hours” to remove it all.
Four buildings at Parkview Apartments, including the building where Hinrichs lived, were cordoned off with police tape.
Mike McMahon, who lives across the street from Hinrichs’ building, said he was on his porch at 3 a.m. Sunday “when they (police) started moving in.”
“That’s when the (yellow crime scene) tape went up,” McMahon said.
Whitney Pearson said she woke at 9 a.m. to find police blocking access to George Street where she lives. Across the street, she could see crime scene tape snaking around buildings at Parkview Apartments.
“I talked to police, and they told me I would be safe as long as I stayed on my side of the tape,” Pearson said.
OU and Norman police officers were posted at intersections to keep people away from the taped-off area. FBI and ATFE agents could be seen moving in and out of the buildings most of the day.
A canister trailer used for detonating or transporting potentially explosive material was being used to haul items away.
They started removing items after 7 p.m.
On Sunday, Boren said reports about authorities finding an unexploded bomb Saturday night were false.
Investigators did set off a second explosion, but it involved a suspicious object located near the blast site that did not contain a bomb, Boren said.
Law enforcement acted quickly and efficiently responding to the emergency, Boren said.
“Student safety is our number one concern,” Boren said.
FBI investigators packaged and removed the bench where the bomber was seated when the explosives went off.
A scorched patch marred the sidewalk where the bench had been removed.
Crime scene tape blocking access to the South Oval was removed by Sunday afternoon. Tape was repositioned around a bus and limousine parked on the oval in front of George Lynn Cross Hall, OU’s botany-microbiology building, prior to Saturday night’s game. Blood spattered the lower length of the bus.
No other damage to the area, including the microbiology building, was apparent.
Officials said Hinrichs’ motive for blowing himself up Saturday near the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during the second quarter of OU’s game against Kansas State remains under investigation.
OU President David Boren said Hinrichs was a student “who had very, serious personal problems that led to this tragic death.”
Because of what happened, Boren said, the FBI had taken over the investigation.
Boren said the student had explosives strapped to his body.
Investigators would not say whether they believe Hinrichs intended to go inside the stadium before the detonation happened.
"We are dealing with an individual death caused by an explosive device,” Boren said. “There is no continuing threat to the students at OU.”
Boren said OU classes would be held as usual Oct. 3.
Notified of his son’s death Sunday, Hinrichs’ father said he was still processing what happened and did not trust himself to say much.
“I don’t want him defined by whatever limitations led him to this,” said Joel H. Hinrichs Jr. of Colorado Springs. “He was quite introverted. He was a very quiet, introverted, intelligent young man. I can’t approximate what led him to make such a final decision.”
Hinrichs Jr., who broke down in tears during a brief phone interview with The Oklahoman, said he plans to have his son’s remains cremated and the ashes sent back to Colorado.
That's speculation. What is known is a bomb exploded and a student is dead. A bus driver saw him sitting on a bench before something went BOOM. A female witness saw two middle-eastern running away toward the stadium immediately after the explosion.
If he was sitting on the bench as reported, someone could have left the bomb on the bench either before he sat down or after, then departed. The sweeps with bomb-sniffing dogs prior to the explosion could have foiled any plans (by whomever) to take the bomb(s) into more densly packed area. There apparently was concern earlier that additional security and sweeps were necessary. Whoever was walking around with a backpack of explosives would have sought other methods for placing it, or getting rid of it.
My speculation makes just as much sense (to me at least) as any that has been reported. Reports from the investigators, media, and university president are in conflict with someone who knew the victim better than any of the former. So everyone will have to make their own choice about who to believe.
"A female witness saw two middle-eastern running away toward the stadium immediately after the explosion."
Another interesting detail that I haven't seen before. Where did you learn this?
Yes it is! The funniest thing about it is that someone took offense to it!
Thanks for the laughs!
Way back on the 3000+ thread, probably prior to #1500, but I don't care to go back looking for it.
You should read the main thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1495058/posts?q=1&&page=3401
The information is from a post by PhiKapMom last night. She is not the one who actualy saw this though. Search her posts from last night.
"If he was sitting on the bench as reported, someone could have left the bomb on the bench either before he sat down or after, then departed."
So, any explosive materials found in Hinrich's dorm room were planted by these Muslims on the same hall, along with any Muslim literature, making him an innocent victim? Framed, in other words?
That sounds a bit implausible to me. But, I suppose it's not completely impossible. If Hinrichs just happened upon a backpack or something, by accident, somebody would really have to hustle back to the dorm to pull this off, though. I'd think witnesses there would be a problem.
The University, the cops and the fathers reactions are the same. I think the feds took over, because the bomb, matl's and action are fed crimes and they can do a more extensive investigation. Feddollars of course instead of running up the local bill.
You dont think as President of the university he has people who report to him who did know the kid and his record at the school. When I was in college it's likely the President of the University could have gotten a lot of info on me with one or two phone calls. A check of the university computer records would have provided additional interesting input on my behavior and known associates. Boren probably also has input from the local police and FBI. After all the guy has a high security clearance and was having breakfast with Tenant, the head of the CIA, the morning of 9/11.
Bush_Democrat - actually, it is very funny. Blue Jays is right.....somebody who had a cache of explosives in his apartment had much more than suicide in his mind.
See the posts by PhiKapMom on the other thread.
Let me see if I've got this straight.
This whacked-out kid blows himself up on a concrete bench and the only thing left is a charred footprint and his dad wants to bring home his remains to be cremated?
Not depressed, but psychotic. See #47.
"BTW, the head of his fraternity that was on Channel 9 tonight disputed the official depressed student claim of the Administration."
The smiley face bomber was a nice guy to. This sort of psychosis just pops up and folks fail to see it, and it hits when the kids come of age and often leave home. He did sit on a park bench to do this. There must have been a lot of tension and really bizarre thoughts in the kids head.
I have this theory that anyone who has the tops of his ears below a straight line intersecting at least the midpoint of a line through his eyebrows is mentally deficient; check it out against the pictures you see posted of life's losers.
Regardless of your ethnicity, where would you run if a bomb went off in your vicinity, towards the bomb or away from it towards a large relatively secure building like a stadium where you know you could find police to report the explosion. Also, if you are smart and not involved and you do happen to be middle eastern in appearance what do you do, do you run away and instantly become targets of a man hunt or do you run towards the stadium and the police. Duh? Look what happend in London to the guy that ran the wrong way.
"I have this theory that anyone who has the tops of his ears below a straight line intersecting at least the midpoint of a line through his eyebrows is mentally deficient"
Well, alrighty then. I gather that the tops of your ears are above a straight line intersecting at least the midpoint of a line through your eyebrows?
"Explosive materials" could be camping propane, spray deoderant, detergent, rubbing alcohol, bourbon, firecrackers, or any of dozens of household (or apartment items). Unless there are exact matches in materials and direct connection to the explosion event, it is all meaningless.
That is how they search and blow up stuff, and that is how the media reports it. Conclusive reports are issued much later after all political considerations are weighed.
You'll have to pick your own truth from the tidbits, because the details are only going to get more muddled going forward.
I B series.
Time to pick up the pieces and move one, heh?
(sarcasm) And I have a theory that anyone who becomes a professor is because they are a failure at getting a real job in the economy and must instead rail against said economy in bitterness using marxism to get a salary.
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