Man’s DNA links him to homemade explosive found near elementary school, MN cops say

More than 18 months after an explosive device was found near an elementary school, a man’s DNA has linked him to the discovery, according to Minnesota police and news reports.

A woman took the item to her home on Feb. 10, 2023, after mistaking it for garbage, according to a criminal complaint obtained by KMSP. When she realized it was what she called a “cherry bomb,” she returned it to its original location and called police.

Officers and FBI officials determined it wasn’t a cherry bomb, but rather a functioning improvised explosive device, police said, according to KSTP. The cylinder-shaped device had “a green fuse sticking out,” KSTP reported.

DNA found inside and outside the explosive linked it to a 57-year-old man, who was initially detained in September 2023, according to Bring Me The News. He told police he probably had the device “at one time,” but he denied placing it by the Hastings school, the publication reported.

“When (the man) was interviewed by investigators he said he had not set anything by a telephone pole and had never built an explosive,” KARE reported, citing a criminal complaint. “He said he tossed ‘like a M80 or something like that’ around the same time the device was found.”

He was charged this month with possessing an explosive device, news outlets reported.

Hastings is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Minneapolis.

This story was originally published August 19, 2024 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Man’s DNA links him to homemade explosive found near elementary school, MN cops say."