Salt Lake City police say two men have been arrested after an explosive device was discovered under a news crew’s vehicle, raising alarms during a week already rattled by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Officials confirmed the device was found Friday near the Utah State Capitol, where national and local media had gathered to cover Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University just two days earlier.
According to FOX 13, the target of the attack, the device was lit but malfunctioned before it could explode. Investigators later described it as “incendiary” and said it had the potential to cause serious harm.
Federal agents and local police raided a home in Magna, a Salt Lake County suburb, and arrested 58-year-old Adeeb Nasir and his 31-year-old son, Adil Justice Ahmed Nasir. The FBI confirmed that nearby homes were evacuated during the operation.
Court documents reviewed by local outlets allege the pair admitted that “two hoax weapons of mass destruction” found inside were “real.” Agents also reported discovering “contraband and evidence of other crimes” during the raid.
Both men now face charges of making terroristic threats, possession of explosives, and possession of weapons of mass destruction.
The arrests came as Utah remains on edge following the shooting of Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, a far-right youth group that has been a key ally of President Donald Trump. Kirk was gunned down while speaking at a Q&A event in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday, a killing that stunned Trump supporters and sparked heated political debate.
“This is exactly the kind of climate we feared,” said Salt Lake City Council member Ana Martinez in a statement. “Violence is breeding more violence, and innocent people — including journalists just doing their jobs — are being put at risk.”
Democrats in Utah and across the country have warned that Trump’s second term has only intensified political tensions. “We have to recognize how dangerous the rhetoric has become,” said Rep. Chris Stewart (D-Utah). “When the President consistently demonizes the media as ‘enemies of the people,’ it creates an atmosphere where targeting reporters feels justified to extremists.”
Journalists covering the Kirk shooting said the discovery of the device shook them. One FOX 13 crew member, who asked not to be identified, told reporters: “We’ve covered protests, wildfires, mass shootings — but finding out there was a bomb under our truck? That’s another level. It’s terrifying.”
Federal prosecutors are now weighing additional charges against the suspects, and officials say the investigation is still ongoing.
“Make no mistake, this was an attempt to send a message to the free press,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “We will not allow intimidation or violence to silence journalists in this state.”
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Evil crazy murderous Democrat junkies going even more nutso than usual…
So many sick people out there. Hopefully more people will find and put God in their lives. He’s our salvation
This is the same News outlet who has called Charlie Kirk an extreme right winger.
The terrorists should be put in front of a firing squad. There’s more of them and getting rid of them is getting vermin out of our country. Obutta started this terrorist crap. Can’t wait to see them in handcuffs headed for the squad
Why do the left keep blaming President Trump? Please tell me who did these things?
Lied about Covid
Lied about opponents
Called American names for over eight years
Attacked opponent when say won election
Rigged elections
Paid media to lie about opponents
Set up J6 to make a sitting President look bad
Attack conservatives and put in prison
Allowed antifa and BLM destroy our country and history
Never paid for their corruption in congress
Undermined a sitting President
Falsified documents to harm a President
Paid others to lie to hurt a President
Committed treason
Planted paper at raid on opponents
Forced people to stay home while letting out prisoners
Allowed big box stores to stay open when shutting down ma and pap stores
Held a four day funeral for a criminal while not allowing you to hold one for grandma
No punishment for antifa, BLM, looters, arsonist, murders, thugs and others but convict people for what they set up at capital and other places to harm conservatives
Who gave illegals free ride while Americans were in food lines, loosing their homes, loosing their jobs
Allowing liquor stores open but couldn’t do repairs at your home
Took vacations all over while you couldn’t even share meal with family
Demanded defund police while protecting thugs
Mandated vaccination for Americans while illegals crossed boarder no problem
Break laws and are above the law while telling us no one is above the law
Bought DA’s, AG’s, Judges, jury’s to deny republicans at every turn
Pay people to go to rallies
Pay influencers to trash the right
Who gave my retirement to everyone but me
Who got fema money but not conservatives
Who told people to get in republicans faces, push back on them and tell them their not wanted anywhere
Who attacked Presidential staff all over DC
Who put out Officials names and addresses
Who always said they were for the working class for decades but never did a thing for us
Who gave our money to family and friends
Who stole from working class to make themselves and others richer
Who got lawyers to attack their opponent and ruin them
Who has been allowed to play president while real President Trump trying to make us America great again
Who tried to assassinate an opponent
Who assassinated a conservative for telling truth
Who tries to scare us for control and power
Who lied about what an opponent really said
Who weaponized our government
Who wants to depopulate white people
Who loves chaos in our country
Who gave money to help foreign terrorist groups
Who lied about a basement President
Who hates Americans and America
Who indoctrinated our children
Who killed citizens with fentanyl
Who wants to take our guns
Who wants us to have no property
Who wants us paying more taxes to steal from us
Who sat in front of their expensive refrigerator during Covid bragging about their expensive ice cream while you stood in a food line
Who has bank accounts all over the world
Who has been illegally stock trading
Who threatens others to get their way
Who hasn’t paid taxes while we pay theirs
Who allowed sex in kindergarten
Who allowed colleges to brain wash young adults
Who sits back and does nothing but think how to hurt Americans
Who prosecuted someone for what they themselves actually did
Who disobeyed a sitting President orders
Who kept important things from a sitting President
Who called foreign country counter part and told them they will let them know if sitting President decides to do something
Who followed a sitting President around the globe when he met with heads of states his first term
I could go on because my list will go a mile long
This is how they want to ruin us all so they can take control of everything while they live high on the hog with family and those who bow to them
Corruption and criminal activities are on full view. Now tell me it is all because of President Trump?
Because they say it is that way doesn’t mean it is. They open mouth and lies come out every time.
Reality is better then dream land. Some people just have no conscience period. How do they sleep at night or look in the mirror?