Gainesville, Florida: Buchholz Student Arrested in Explosives Investigation

A 15-year-old Buchholz High School student in Gainesville, Florida has been arrested and charged with making or attempting to make a destructive device, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office said in a release on Tuesday, October 27. Investigators said the teenager communicated on social media with members and supporters of ISIS, and that a search of his home turned up two jars of chemicals he told them were used to make TATP, a highly unstable explosive. The sheriff's office is not releasing further details, and this report does not name the teenager because of his age.

How the investigation began

The sheriff's office and the FBI ran a joint investigation after law enforcement received information that the teenager was talking online with unidentified members and supporters of ISIS, the Islamic State group. According to the sheriff's office, he was asking them for guidance on how to build drones and explosives to attack people in an indoor location that had not yet been determined. Investigators went to the teenager's home in the 9000 block of Northwest 59th Lane on Friday, October 23, and spoke with him and his parents. With the parents' consent, investigators searched the teenager's phone. They said the phone held files with instructions for making explosive devices and chemical compounds, along with ISIS propaganda.

The jars found in the bedroom

Investigators returned to the home on Monday, October 26 to follow up on the phone files and were allowed inside. While they were in the home, the teenager's mother pointed them to two jars in the teenager's room. Questioned about the jars, the teenager told investigators they held different chemical agents used to make TATP, short for triacetone triperoxide. The sheriff's office described TATP as a dangerous and unstable explosive that can detonate unexpectedly. The home was evacuated at once, and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office bomb team came to assess the materials and secure the scene. After the home was judged safe, detectives obtained a search warrant and searched the residence.

Arrest and the school district response

The teenager was arrested on October 26 and charged with making or attempting to make a destructive device. The sheriff's office said additional charges are possible while the investigation continues. "Due to the ongoing nature and sensitive aspects of this case, no further details will be released at this time," the sheriff's office said.

Alachua County Public Schools said the student has been withdrawn from the district. In a statement after the sheriff's announcement, the district thanked the FBI and the sheriff's office for their work to identify and respond to the threat. The district said there was no indication that Buchholz High School or anyone at the school was specifically targeted, and that a threat assessment was done together with law enforcement. The district said it stays in regular contact with the sheriff's office and cannot release more information while the investigation is open.