May 12, 2002

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Area Residents Rocked by Mailbox Explosion

Some Shreveport area residents were awakened last night to the sound of an explosion that rocked their Town South neighborhood.

Thomas Roberts of 528 South Dresden Court called 911 after he saw that the origin of the explosion was his mailbox. Fire Communications officers at Caddo Parish 911 received the call from Roberts just before 1:00 a.m. this morning - reporting that "his mailbox blew-up." Fire Department arson investigators were sent to the scene along with Shreveport Police. Fire Investigator found the mailbox at the residence totally destroyed with the door laying some 150 feet away. Some debris from the blast was also found in nearby trees. Fire Department officials notified the FBI and ATF who chose not to send representatives to the scene but will be briefed on Monday.

Investigators are trying to piece together the incident and narrow down a suspect list, along with as motive for the incident. Today, investigators said they believe the incident was a juvenile prank gone too far. The material used in the blast was over the counter sparklers, those same fireworks you can find during the Fourth of July and New Years. No injuries were reported in the explosion but fire officials are taking the incident very serious. There is no question that this incident could have caused extraordinary harm had someone been in the way at the time of the explosion. With the conditions that exist in our country today, incidents of this type, prank or not, are no laughing matter and will not be tolerated. Investigators said the penalty for possessing an explosive or an act of assembling a device is a felony offence and carries a maximum penalty of 20 years at hard labor and a $10,000 fine. ###