Student had explosives in apartment

The OU bomb explosion story takes on a grimmer tone as the Daily Oklahoman reports today that FBI and ATF investigators, working with Norman police, found a large quantity of explosive materials inside the residence of the student who blew himself up about 100 yards from the ongoing OU-Kansas State game Saturday night.

Joel Henry Hinrichs III, 21, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., died in the explosion, FBI officials said.

Investigators believe Hinrichs detonated a bomb about 8 p.m. Saturday, just 100 yards away from a packed football stadium.

Officials confirmed Sunday a cache of explosive material later was found inside Hinrichs’ residence at the university- owned Parkview Apartments, southeast of Lindsey Street and Stinson Avenue.

The FBI, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and Norman police’s bomb squad were removing the material Sunday evening.

Police were overheard telling residents it would take “several trips and could take up to 24 hours” to remove it all.
...
FBI investigators packaged and removed the bench where the bomber was seated when the explosives went off.

A scorched patch marred the sidewalk where the bench had been removed.

Crime scene tape blocking access to the South Oval was removed by Sunday afternoon. Tape was repositioned around a bus and limousine parked on the oval in front of George Lynn Cross Hall, OU’s botany-microbiology building, prior to Saturday night’s game. Blood spattered the lower length of the bus.

The new details are disquieting in that it over 11 hours from the initial blast before officers began removing the newly discovered explosive material.

The question on everyone's mind is "why?" Why did Hinrichs build a bomb? Why did he have a large stash of materials clearly not necessary for his engineering studies? Did he have a cause? Was he working with anyone else? (This a necessary question since such a large cache of explosives would provide at least a simple argument for at least another individual to be involved, if for nothing else than to provide help carrying it in.) Was his intention to walk into the football game with 84,000 in attendance?

If investigators know, they are not yet telling.

Officials said Hinrichs’ motive for blowing himself up Saturday near the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during the second quarter of OU’s game against Kansas State remains under investigation.

The Oklahoman quotes University president David Boren as saying the student "had very, serious personal problems that led to this tragic death.” He also added a significant detail: the explosives had been strapped to Hinrichs' body.

The newspaper interviewed the dead student's father in Colorado Springs (a journalistic move which, in this case, is appropriate and necessary). The grieving man said:

“I don’t want him defined by whatever limitations led him to this,” said Joel H. Hinrichs Jr. of Colorado Springs. “He was quite introverted. He was a very quiet, introverted, intelligent young man. I can’t approximate what led him to make such a final decision.”

More coming on this one, obviously.

See also "Sooners bombed during game?"

UPDATE #1 -- Flopping Aces has timelines, photos and interesting details on other stadium threats.