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A 16-year-old Kalispell resident was arrested on May 25 and charged with felony possession of an explosive device.
The suspect, Thayne Carmen, made several comments to other people that he intended to detonate a bomb on either a gas pump, a large propane tank, or a police car, according to Kalispell Sgt. Chris Christenson. The individuals to whom he told his plans considered them to be serious enough that they notified the police, who apprehended Carmen at his home Tuesday morning.
The arresting officers were Anthony McDonald and Christenson of the KPD.
“Explosives are a serious concern, but we see two of three of them every year,” said Christenson. “One reason we took this incident especially seriously was because of the nature of the threats. We considered the threats to be very serious”
Carmen had been living with his father in Columbia Falls, but after moving to live with his mother in Kalispell, he stopped attending school. Carmen had a fascination with bombs, police said.
Christenson described the device seized by police as a “sophisticated electronic detonator using a digital clock and battery pack.” The detonator was unattached to any explosives, but Carmen was in the process of disassembling rifle shells to obtain the gunpowder.
“The timer and power source are more complex than what we usually see,” said Christenson.
In addition to the danger posed to property and other people, home bomb makers pose a threat to themselves, said Christenson.
“There’s no difficulty in obtaining the components for an explosive device,” said Christenson. “It takes special knowledge to attach the detonator. Bombers frequently blow themselves up.”
Carmen denies that he intended to use the bomb to destroy property. The police are continuing to investigate events prior to the arrest. They are uncertain whether Carmen will be tried as a juvenile or as an adult. Sentencing will strongly depend on what the court decides concerning how he was going to use the bomb, according to Christenson.
Should this and other events around the country change the way we look at America’s youth?
FHS activities director Gene Boyle, a 22-year educational veteran, thinks so.
“I think that today it is very important to take seriously any threats of violence,” said Boyle. “Threats are cries for attention, but as opposed to 10 years ago, they (today’s youth) tend to carry their threats out more.”
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