Two men have been arrested by the FBI following the discovery of an incendiary device, which was attached to a Fox 13 News car in Salt Lake City, Utah. Court documents showed that the device was discovered on September 12 and had been lit, but it did not work well. It took place a few days after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, which has brought up the issue of media safety.
Two suspects face terrorism charges
The FBI arrested two men after an incendiary device was located under a Utah news station’s vehicle, according to reports from USA Today. The device was found Sept. 12 attached to a vehicle belonging to Fox 13 News, a local Salt Lake City station, according to the outlet and reporting from CBS News, which obtained court documents. The device was lit but “failed to function,” authorities said.
The FBI served two men – Adeeb Nasir, 58, and Adil Justice Ahmed Nasir, 31 – with a warrant, according to the station. The men were booked into jail on multiple charges. An entire neighborhood in Magna, about 14 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, was forced to evacuate when the FBI served an overnight warrant Sept. 13.
Two suspects are in custody after an incendiary device was found under a vehicle belonging to KSTU, a local TV station known as Fox 13 News Utah, according to CNN. The incendiary device “had been lit but failed to function as designed,” according to court records obtained by CNN affiliate KUTV. The device was discovered in Salt Lake City on Friday, two days after Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University, about 45 minutes south of the Utah capital.
Multiple felony charges filed
KUTV reported that two suspects were arrested after FBI agents and local bomb squads converged on a home in Magna, Utah. Additional explosives, along with firearms, illegal narcotics, and other paraphernalia, were found in the home, according to court records. Photos and videos from the scene showed anti-Trump signs on display outside the home.
As of 2 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 15, the men face five felony charges, according to the Salt Lake City Sheriff’s Office records, including the following: Threat of terrorism, possessing weapons of mass destruction, and possessing explosive, chemical, or incendiary devices. Both men are being held without bond, according to the Salt Lake City Sheriff’s office.
The FBI, with the assistance of the Unified Fire Authority bomb squad, has taken over the investigation. The FBI took over the case because the type of device and its location – being parked next to an occupied building – made it a “significant threat to public safety.” USA TODAY has contacted the FBI for more information.
Media security heightened after Kirk’s assassination
Fox 13 News Utah is owned by Scripps. Stations like Fox 13 are affiliated with the Fox network but are not directly part of the Fox News Channel, the pro-Trump cable news network. The station confirmed the news about its vehicle on Sunday night and said, “FOX 13 News is working closely with law enforcement and our risk management team, with the safety of our employees as our top priority.”
Both national and local media outlets have stepped up security efforts in the wake of the Kirk assassination. The device was found just days after the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, where the conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder was holding an event. The suspect, Tyler Robinson, is now in custody, and authorities are still investigating.
The discovery of an incendiary device under a news vehicle highlights growing concerns about threats against media organizations and journalists. With two suspects now facing terrorism charges and additional explosives found at their residence, the FBI continues investigating potential connections to recent political violence.