Provo Man Arrested After Police Find 71 Homemade Bombs in Apartment

PROVO, Utah — A man was arrested Friday after police found 71 homemade bombs and explosive materials in his Orem apartment. The investigation began when police received reports of Eric Whitaker, 41, brandishing a gun at the Provo Towne Centre Mall.

According to Provo Police Chief Troy Beebe, the confrontation took place around 10:30 a.m. Friday in the mall’s parking lot. A bystander alerted authorities after witnessing the incident. Officers located Whitaker in his vehicle, where they discovered a handgun, ammunition, and several suspicious devices.

“Four total devices that appear to be pipe bombs were removed from the area for safe disposal,” police stated. Initially, Whitaker told the police the devices were firecrackers but later claimed they were modified flares intended for hiking.

However, bomb squad members identified the devices as incendiary. Following his arrest, police obtained a search warrant for Whitaker’s apartment, where they uncovered bomb-making materials and a large number of improvised explosive devices.

“The devices contained shrapnel and explosive powders that could cause death or serious injury if detonated,” according to the police booking affidavit. As a precaution, the apartment building was evacuated for four hours while the Metro Bomb Squad safely removed the explosives.

In total, 71 devices were confiscated from Whitaker’s apartment. He was charged with 71 counts of possession of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of possessing bomb-making materials. Police indicated that they plan to examine Whitaker’s electronic devices to uncover a possible motive.

Beebe noted that while Whitaker’s intent remains unclear, the type of devices discovered in his apartment are designed for mass destruction. Fortunately, there is no current threat to the public as the investigation continues.