A Certain Silence
Did you hear about the pipe bomb in Hinsdale, Illinois that exploded in a trash can in a commuter railroad station? It happened Friday morning at about 6:50 am. Nobody was hurt in the blast. It was a sophisticated device with a timing mechanism. Did you hear about it?
I didn't think you had. Those who read here must know I watch a lot of major media outlets. This was not picked up or covered anywhere in the national media. Not. One. Word.
The maker of a sophisticated pipe bomb that exploded in a trash receptacle inside the Hinsdale Metra station early Friday still was at large late in the day, police said.
Nobody was injured in the 6:50 a.m. blast inside the ticket building, authorities said.
A man witnesses had pointed to as possibly being involved was released after a consensual search of his home turned up nothing, Hinsdale Police Chief Bradley Bloom said. The man had been seen near the receptacle and was apprehended at Union Station about an hour and a half later.
Bloom said the department has not ruled that man, or anyone else, out but said police don't have a good description of who may have left the bomb. There are no security cameras at the station, and nobody saw anyone place the bomb, he said.
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Thomas Ahern said authorities do not believe the incident was terrorist-related, although they do not have a motive yet. He said the device was "improvised" but not a manufactured bomb. Its remnants will be sent to a Maryland laboratory for examination, Ahern said.
The device was more elaborate than some–it had a timer that allowed a delayed detonation, authorities said.
"We're a little concerned, because it was a somewhat sophisticated device," Bloom said, referring to the timer. "And it was just inside the door" of the station, he said.
If someone had been near it, he or she could have been seriously hurt, Ahern said.
I had to get this from a comment here that linked a Canadian story. Then I searched and found the Chicago Tribune story. (Thanks for the tip, Blackhawk.) I begin to fear, rather badly, for this country when the press is more interested in cheerleading than it is in reporting anything that might hurt their agendas. There is a certain silence on some things that is beginning to really bother me.
How about you?
By Matthew, Tuesday, 5 September , 2006 @ 8:26 am
I live four miles away from the Hinsdale RR station and ran by there on Saturday morning and heard nothing of this story. And I consider myself fairly well informed.
By Gaius, Tuesday, 5 September , 2006 @ 8:41 am
It is very weird.
By Ed, Tuesday, 5 September , 2006 @ 9:24 am
Maybe it’s because virtually all pipe bomb incidents are done by screwed up kids who think it’s fun to blow things up and don’t think about the consequences of their actions.
In other words, maybe it’s not time to have Drudge flashing an alert about an attack until there is actually some evidence of one.
By Gaius, Tuesday, 5 September , 2006 @ 9:42 am
It sounds like it had an elaborate timing device, not at all the usual pipe bomb.
By me, Wednesday, 6 September , 2006 @ 9:22 pm
I live in Hinsdale, and was at the station less than an hour after the bomb went off. I’m not one to shrug off incidents like this, but I have to agree with Ed- this is most likely some kids- maybe sophisticated kids, but kids nonetheless.
By Stacy, Wednesday, 18 October , 2006 @ 11:42 am
Check this out — some follow-up to the September incident. From the School District 181 website.