Suspect Arrested In MLK Parade Bomb Incident In Spokane
A suspect has been arrested in the foiled bombing of a MLK Jr. parade in Spokane. FBI and law enforcement were converging on a home near Spokane.
Kudos go not only to investigators who broke the case, but the alert individuals who found the backpack and informed law enforcement in time to defuse the bomb before it could detonate to deadly effect.The bomb had a remote detonator and the ability to cause mass casualties, according to officials.
The bomb was defused without incident but unnerved residents of Spokane, especially those who took part in a parade whose theme was steeped in peace and nonviolence.
The attempt raised the possibility of a racial motive in a region that has been home to the white supremacist group Aryan Nations.
In addition to the bomb, the backpack contained two T-shirts that authorities analyzed for clues.
Officials praised as heroes the three city workers who spotted the backpack about an hour before the parade was to start on Jan. 17. They looked inside, saw wires and immediately alerted law enforcement.
The bomb was carefully placed on a metal bench with a brick wall behind that would have directed shrapnel toward Main Street, where marchers were expected to pass, investigators said.
- [corrected title and lede from Seattle to Spokane]
UPDATE:
AG Holder will have a presser momentarily (3PM ET) to announce the arrests and release more info. At least one person was taken into custody during the execution of warrants and all signs point to someone connected with a white supremacist group (which was almost a given considering the target).