Three students at George Mason University were arrested after police officers discovered bomb-making material Wednesday evening.
The Associated Press reports that “a leafy green substance, match books, shaved match heads, a mortar and pedestal, lighter fluid, hand sanitizer candles and a PVC pipe” were found in a dorm room in Jefferson Hall, all of which can be used to create a bomb.
Two students were arrested on charges relating to drugs and alcohol, while another was arrested for the possessing bomb-related materials. None of the suspects were identified.
While the motivation on the alleged bomb-making isn’t clear, the editorial staff at Red Alert Politics suggests that it may be terror-related:
GMU is located in Northern Virginia, where there has been a notable uptick in radical activity among youths. In nearby Prince William County, 17-year-old Ali Shukri Amin pled guilty last July to “conspiring to provide material support to terrorists” when he helped ISIS recruit another teen to go to Syria.
Other reports have shown a concerted effort by ISIS to engage teenage Americans. One paper by George Washington University identified Virginia as a hotspot for these recruiting efforts. While we know very little about the motive and identity of these GMU students, this trend is worth noting as the investigation develops.
Regardless, students in the dorm are relieved that the police discovered the bomb-making materials.
“It’s surprising to me that no one else on the floor knew about it, and if they did, they didn’t say anything about it,” student Sydney Cono told FOX 5 DC. “Explosive are very, very harmful, but at least the police caught it before something bad could have potentially happened.”