Two pipe bombs allegedly left by a Burke County guy at a nearby church. According to investigators, Joshua Hawley, 37, allegedly took two pipe bombs to Marketplace Church on Sunday at 3 p.m. Marketplace Church is located on Highway 127 south of Hickory in Catawba County. Before the police arrived, he departed the area.
Along with FBI agents, bomb squads from Gastonia and Gaston County were called in. Then a car that was parked in front of the chapel was searched by a robot. According to court records, the units took a bomb out of the trunk. According to the police, the church was shut down after another one was discovered there.
According to investigators, the bomb teams made both devices safe.
On Monday, when law enforcement officers in tactical gear surrounded the residence where Hawley was living in southern Burke County, Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew overhead. When police and federal authorities took him into custody, he seemed to have a bandage covering one of his hands.
According to court records, Hawley is charged with bringing one pipe bomb for the church’s treasurer and another for its pastor.
Must Check:
- Man Accused Of Four Murders In Nebraska Enters A Not Guilty Plea
- Woman Sentenced To 40 Years For Using Her Own Infant Niece In Child Porn
Following the closure of a retail center’s doors for several hours on Sunday, nearby businesses were in shock.
It’s astounding, remarked Ralph Pruitt, a neighbor. You can no longer even attend church without someone entering and making trouble. We’re all baffled by what’s happening around the nation, for sure.
Dave Faherty of Channel 9 discovered that Hawley attended Marketplace Church. According to court records, the pastor of the church had urged Hawley to cease going there four months prior due to his behavior, calling him “dangerous.”
According to the search warrant, “Josh was coming to church dressed as an MP, with a body camera, open carrying a gun, knives, and other tactical gear.”
In a statement posted late on Monday, Hawley’s family expressed their disagreement with the threat posed by the pipe bombs. The family claimed they largely released smoke, but they also alleged they included sodium nitrate, sugar, baking soda, stump remover, and had a fuse.
Hawley is accused of having weapons of mass destruction and threatening widespread violence in a house of worship. The sheriff of Catawba County stated that he takes threats of this nature seriously.
Sheriff Don Brown stated, “I believe people should feel safe in a house of worship.” And in a setting like that, kids shouldn’t feel threatened with violence or intimidated. Due to previous national occurrences, we take these very seriously.
The place where Hawley was arrested was a family member’s residence, according to prosecutors, who told the judge on Tuesday. When cops searched it, they said. They discovered a sizable number of bombs and bomb-making supplies.
For more latest updates and news, you can follow our website,Poptopnews.com.