Authorities discovered 71 explosive devices and a significant quantity of bomb-making materials in the apartment of an Orem man following his arrest for displaying a weapon near a Provo mall on Friday, as reported by Provo Police.
After the arrest of Eric Whitaker, 41, on Friday for having devices close to the Provo Towne Centre Mall, Provo Police secured a search warrant for Whitaker’s apartment in Orem.
During the execution of the warrant, authorities discovered materials for bomb-making, along with a significant quantity of homemade improvised explosive anti-personnel fragmentation grenade devices, according to a statement from Provo Police.
Authorities cleared the apartment complex as the Bomb Squad arrived to assess the situation. Authorities uncovered a total of 71 improvised explosive devices from Whitaker’s residence, in addition to various materials used for bomb-making.
Authorities have increased Whitaker’s booking details with 71 additional counts related to the possession of dangerous weaponry, alongside a single count for having materials used in bomb-making. The matter has been forwarded to the office of the Utah County Attorney.
“We are grateful for the expert training, skills, and equipment that our Metro Bomb Squad officers provide during their response to EOD incidents, protecting our investigators as well as our community,” Provo Police said. “We are proud of our Patrol Officers for their fast response to the initial report of suspicious activity, and their continued assistance to our Detectives during the follow-up investigation. We also appreciate Orem PD’s Patrol Division for assisting in the evacuation measures during the search warrant.”
