Title: Provo Man Faces Multiple Felony Charges After Gun Incident Leads to Discovery of Explosives
PROVO, Utah – A man has been charged with over 70 felony counts related to weapons of mass destruction following an alarming incident outside a local mall. Eric Nathaniel Whitaker, 41, from Orem, was apprehended after police responded to reports of him waving a gun near the Provo Towne Centre mall.
According to court documents, Whitaker drove away from the scene, only to be located shortly afterward in a nearby church parking lot. He claimed to have brandished his firearm during a road rage incident. Officers, upon questioning Whitaker, requested to secure his weapon, which he agreed to.
A search of Whitaker’s car revealed a Glock 20 handgun with a loaded magazine, 11 additional loaded magazines, and a machete. More disturbingly, police found an object wrapped in duct tape with a fuse in the trunk. Responding bomb squad technicians discovered it was an improvised explosive device (IED) filled with nails and metal pellets.
Further investigation at Whitaker’s Orem residence led to the discovery of 71 more IEDs, along with various materials used for their construction, including fireworks and tape. The situation escalated, prompting the evacuation of the apartment complex, while the bomb squad safely disposed of the devices at a shooting range. Several of these explosives detonated during recovery, scattering shrapnel across the area.
Whitaker now faces 75 first-degree felony charges, including manufacturing and possessing weapons of mass destruction. Provo police continue to investigate the case, highlighting the community’s safety concerns stemming from the alarming findings.
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