Suspect in Blackfoot explosives incident released from jail
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Story updated with Caldwell’s release from jail and information on whether there will be further charges.
BLACKFOOT — Police are looking into the motive of man who was found with explosive material in the Blackfoot Walmart parking lot Sunday.
Kenneth L. Caldwell, 33, of Idaho Falls, was arrested Sunday, May 15, for carrying a concealed weapon without a license, which refers to a pistol that police say they found in his car.
Bingham County Jail deputies told EastIdahoNews.com on Monday morning that Caldwell had been released from custody.
The incident prompted a five-hour closure of the parking lot, and the materials were handled by the regional bomb squad.
“We may have prevented something serious,” Blackfoot Police Capt. Scott Gay told EastIdahoNews.com. “Parts and pieces were discovered. All the ingredients were there, but no assembled device found.”
Gay said authorities found the following in the same location inside the vehicle:
- BBs
- A pipe
- Electronic switches
- Steel wool
- Batteries
- Propane cylinders
Gay said it’s not illegal to possess any of those items, and since they weren’t assembled into an explosive device, any further charges that might be brought against Caldwell would depend on what his motives were.
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