FORT WORTH, TEXAS -
Federal officials are investigating a pipe bomb inside of a flashlight discovered by a jogger Wednesday morning in east Fort Worth, authorities said.
Fort Worth firefighters were called out to a home in the 7700 block of Randol Mill Road about 10 a.m. Tuesday after the jogger reported finding a fuse coming from the bottom of the flashlight, fire officials said.
"We took X-rays, and we were able to determine that it appeared to be an improvised explosive device," said Lt. Ric Neaves, a fire department spokesman.
Jogger Tom Brasfield said he found the flashlight Monday while jogging along Cooks Lane, but he forgot to pick it up on his return trip. He remember to pick up the flashlight on Wednesday when he passed it on his way home.
When he arrived home, he unwrapped tape along the bottom and found what appeared to be a fuse that smelled like gunpowder.
"It didn't take me long to figure out that it was a pipe bomb," he said.
Authorities used a robot to remove the flashlight from Brasfield's property.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are investigating the incident. There are canvassing the neighborhood for information about the flashlight.
ATF spokesman Tom Crowley said it likely was made by someone experimenting with explosives.
"With all the information on the Internet, you have people who do that," he said. "We don't think it was meant to harm anyone."
Crowley said investigators are working to piece together who may have assembled the pipe bomb. If they find the maker, the person could face up to 10 years in prison for possession of an explosive device.
Anyone with information about the flashlight is asked to call the ATF at 817-862-2800.
Fort Worth firefighters were called out to a home in the 7700 block of Randol Mill Road about 10 a.m. Tuesday after the jogger reported finding a fuse coming from the bottom of the flashlight, fire officials said.
"We took X-rays, and we were able to determine that it appeared to be an improvised explosive device," said Lt. Ric Neaves, a fire department spokesman.
Jogger Tom Brasfield said he found the flashlight Monday while jogging along Cooks Lane, but he forgot to pick it up on his return trip. He remember to pick up the flashlight on Wednesday when he passed it on his way home.
When he arrived home, he unwrapped tape along the bottom and found what appeared to be a fuse that smelled like gunpowder.
"It didn't take me long to figure out that it was a pipe bomb," he said.
Authorities used a robot to remove the flashlight from Brasfield's property.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are investigating the incident. There are canvassing the neighborhood for information about the flashlight.
ATF spokesman Tom Crowley said it likely was made by someone experimenting with explosives.
"With all the information on the Internet, you have people who do that," he said. "We don't think it was meant to harm anyone."
Crowley said investigators are working to piece together who may have assembled the pipe bomb. If they find the maker, the person could face up to 10 years in prison for possession of an explosive device.
Anyone with information about the flashlight is asked to call the ATF at 817-862-2800.
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