Two men were arrested Sunday after authorities say a live incendiary device that had been placed under a vehicle operated by a news outlet was discovered in Salt Lake City.
A probable cause statement reviewed by KUTV says bomb squads from the Salt Lake City Police Department and officials with the Unified Fire Authority responded to reports of a suspicious device on Friday and found an incendiary device under the parked vehicle near an occupied building. The document states the device "had been lit but failed to function as designed."
The FBI led the investigation, obtained a search warrant for a home in Magna, about 18 miles west of Salt Lake City, and located both suspects at the residence, the records show. Authorities also evacuated other nearby homes during the response and removed devices from the property that were later assessed as spoof weapons of mass destruction.
Officials reportedly found firearms, additional explosive devices, narcotics and paraphernalia, and explosive-related components inside the home, along with electronic devices believed to contain evidence, according to arrest documents. The men were identified as Adeeb Nasir, 58, and Adil Justice Ahme Nasir, 31.
Both suspects have been charged with multiple counts, including two counts related to weapons of mass destruction for manufacture, possession, sale or use; attempted aggravated arson; four counts involving possession of explosive, chemical or incendiary parts; and two counts of threat of terrorism for use of a weapon or hoax involving mass destruction, jail records reviewed by media outlets show.
Adeeb Nasir, who was born in Pakistan, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and ordered held without bail. Records did not immediately specify the detention location for Adil Nasir.
The arrests came days after a separate high-profile violent incident in Utah. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. The FBI and local authorities conducted a manhunt that led to the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm and obstruction of justice. Utah officials said Robinson was turned in after his father recognized him in FBI-released images and videos; the suspect has not admitted to the killing and was not cooperating with investigators, according to the Utah governor's office. National political figures have commented on the Kirk shooting, and his funeral is scheduled for September 21.
Law enforcement agencies did not immediately release additional public statements about the Salt Lake City bomb-search operation or the ongoing investigation into the devices and materials recovered in Magna. The probable cause statement and arrest records form the primary public accounts of the incident to date.
The case underscores concerns about threats posed to news organizations and public safety in the region and will continue to be prosecuted in local courts as federal and local investigators review evidence recovered from the scene and electronic devices seized during the search.