Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies said Tuesday that they found jars of an explosive compound popular with ISIS and al-Qaeda at a home in Lake Helen, Fla.
Responding units discovered jars containing a substance determined to be the highly volatile explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP), sheriff’s officials said. The white crystal powder has been referred to as “Mother of Satan” by terrorist organizations who have used it in deadly attacks around the world.
Jared E. Coburn, 37, lives in the home and “tried to explain to us that he was making his own version of a firework,” Lake Helen Police Chief Mike Walker said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to the incident.
“Everybody’s here because everybody understands how volatile this stuff is,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood told reporters. He said the priority was to “defuse the situation without any police officer being injured and without anyone in this neighborhood being injured.”
Coburn is in custody facing a charge of manufacturing an explosive device, with additional charges possible.
“It was a shock, it was definitely a shock,” said Walker, who responded to the initial tip about the explosive material. “I’m glad we had the sheriff’s department and their bomb team at our disposal, because they were very helpful, and they continue to be.”
Read more at the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
