A passenger was arrested at Omaha's Eppley Airport on September 5 after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discovered a homemade explosive device concealed within a pill container in his carry-on luggage. The incident has drawn criticism for the TSA's subsequent social media post, which many deemed insensitive.
Che Kristian Salpas, 27, was apprehended when a scanner revealed a four-inch cardboard explosive device. According to a criminal complaint, Salpas was traveling from his parents' home in Nebraska to Salt Lake City, Utah. He reportedly denied ownership of the device, telling Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents that he believed it was a "firework" he had seen at his parents' home and was unsure how it ended up in his bag alongside rocks and a lighter.
The device, described as a blue and red striped tube with a green hobby/cannon fuse and end caps, lit up neon green on scanners, indicating suspected energetic material. An Omaha bomb squad officer later confirmed it to be an explosive device designed to detonate.
Salpas was scheduled to fly to Salt Lake City on Delta Flight 3815. Instead, he was charged with carrying an explosive into an airport and booked into the Douglas County Jail, where he remains in custody.
Social Media Backlash
The TSA highlighted the discovery on Instagram the day before the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, captioning a post with: 'Nothing punny about this one… A passenger at OMA airport claimed their parents bought the item, and they forgot it was in their bag. Must have been a hard pill to swallow when they were ARRESTED.'
This tone-deaf approach sparked immediate backlash online. Social media users accused the TSA of being flippant and disrespectful, especially given the proximity to the 9/11 anniversary. Criticisms included statements like, 'I don't think it's funny at all to be tweeting and making light of these items,' and 'Wrong way to honor the anniversary.'
The TSA was established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to enhance transportation security. The agency's administrator, David P. Cummins, had previously stated in a press release commemorating the anniversary that the agency's mission is to 'strengthen transportation security and restore confidence in the aviation system,' acknowledging that 'the threats we face today are sophisticated and constantly evolving.' The agency noted that nearly 3,000 people died in the 2001 attacks.