Provo Man Arrested After Waving Gun; Homemade Explosives Discovered
PROVO, Utah – An alarming incident at the Provo Towne Centre mall led to significant criminal charges against 41-year-old Eric Nathaniel Whitaker of Orem. Authorities responded to reports of a man waving a gun outside the mall on Friday. Though Whitaker drove away before police arrived, he was later located in a church parking lot, where he claimed to have brandished his weapon during a road rage altercation.
Upon further investigation, officers discovered a Glock 20 and multiple loaded magazines in his vehicle. However, the search revealed something far more concerning: an improvised explosive device (IED) wrapped in duct tape along with three additional IEDs in his trunk. The bomb squad confirmed the devices contained nails and metal pellets, leading to Whitaker’s arrest.
A subsequent search of his residence unveiled another 71 IEDs and materials needed to create more explosives, prompting the evacuation of his apartment complex. Bomb squad technicians safely detonated the devices at a shooting range. Whitaker now faces 75 felony charges for manufacturing, possessing, and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.
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