ATLANTA, Three explosive devices were found in a courtyard between two Georgia Tech dormitories the morning of Oct. 10. One of the devices exploded as a janitor doing his routine grounds cleaning picked up the bag containing the device. The other two devices were detonated by a bomb squad.
The custodian suffered ringing to the ears and was treated at a local hospital. Two nearby dormitories were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
First-semester Georgia Tech student Theodore Hollot voluntarily came forward, telling police he had made the bombs in his room and tossed them in the courtyard near his dorm. He told police he threw as many as 12 devices from his room but retrieved the others after the commotion.
Hollot was charged with possession of destructive devices and reckless conduct. According to school officials, he was also placed on interim suspension and faces a disciplinary hearing.
Georgia Tech Police and the Atlanta Police Department continue to investigate the incident. The contents and exact nature of the bottle explosives have not been determined.
According to an Oct. 11 campus advisory, “While this incident unfortunately was frightening for many of our students, faculty and staff, it turned out to be an excellent test of [Georgia] Tech’s emergency preparedness program. All emergency efforts functioned exceedingly well, and we have every confidence that would be the case if such an incident occurred in the future.”
