BOTTLE BOMBS POSE CLEANUP DANGER

BOTTLE BOMBS POSE CLEANUP DANGER
PA Criminal Intelligence Bulletin

(U) Incidents involving homemade "bottle bombs," also known as “acid bombs,” “works bombs,” and “pressure bombs,” have been reported for at least two decades. Due to the increased prevalence of instructional videos and manuals on the Internet, these bombs are now surfacing more frequently. These explosive devices are easily concocted by utilizing common household ingredients, thus making them quite popular.

(U) Usually “planted” as a prank in a mailbox or a yard, these devices have the potential to be very dangerous. When unsuspecting persons view these bottles as litter and attempt to throw away or remove them, they could sustain serious injury, such as burns, potential loss of fingers, or even death. If the bomb explodes near the facial area, vision or hearing loss could occur.
(U) The above‐described scenario is exactly what befell a female in Texas in 1993: Deeming some bottles in her yard to be litter, the victim collected and placed them in her sink. As she approached the sink, the two bottles exploded in her face, resulting in hearing loss.3 A 68‐year‐old female also suffered injury while collecting debris at a park in California in November 2008. Her good deed was met with cuts to her face and neck, requiring surgery, and a broken finger. All of these injuries were sustained after a plastic soda bottle, rigged as a bomb, exploded in her hand.

(U) A group of teens in Newtown, Pennsylvania found themselves in legal trouble after setting off bottle bombs at three different businesses in April 2010. The first exploded in a restaurant trashcan. The second went off just outside of a fast food eatery, and another exploded in the aisle of a pharmacy. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in any of these incidents, though two people did seek treatment for inhalation injuries.5 A month later, a Bensalem, Pennsylvania elementary school was placed in lockdown after witnesses on the playground reported hearing what they believed to be gunshots. The noises were actually two bottle bombs exploding. One landed in the school parking lot, but no one was injured.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
Bottle bombs pose a substantial risk to all who encounter them. What might initially appear to be litter could actually be a dangerous device. If a bottle containing liquid of a suspicious nature, or liquid mixed with a metallic material is discovered, remove people from the immediate vicinity and contact 9‐1‐1. If the contents are bubbling and the bottle begins swelling, an explosion could be imminent. In cases where bottles have already exploded, individuals should refrain from coming into contact with any liquids, as they may be acidic and potentially harmful.