An Alabama man has been charged for his alleged role in detonating an explosive device outside of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in February, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
Law enforcement arrested Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, on April 10 on charges of malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device, according to the DOJ.
The explosive device detonated near the intersection of Washington Avenue and South Bainbridge Street, outside of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office in downtown Montgomery at around 3:42 a.m. on February 24. Surveillance footage showed a person wearing dark clothes, a mask, and goggles near the scene. No one was injured and there was no major damage to any nearby buildings.
“My staff and I are breathing a collective sigh of relief this morning knowing that this individual has been taken off the streets,” Marshall said in a statement. “Although more information will be provided in the weeks to come, I think it is safe to say that this was not a random act of violence. We are grateful to our federal and local partners for their assistance in this matter and are pleased that the offender faces federal charges carrying significant prison time.”
If convicted, Calvert faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, according to the DOJ.
Breaking: A suspect has been arrested in the bombing of the Alabama Attorney General’s office in Montgomery on Feb. 24. According to court documents, Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert had extensive Antifa propaganda he allegedly used around the time of the bombing. He allegedly made… https://t.co/aB0ZdyKBiD pic.twitter.com/6dGKcr03b0
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 10, 2024
The U.S. attorney’s office wrote in a detention memo filed Wednesday that the explosive device “had the characteristics of an IED, and Calvert added a substantial number of nails and other shrapnel to increase its destructive capability,” NBC News reported.
The detonation occurred one day after Marshall said he had no plans to prosecute in vitro fertilization (IVF) providers or families after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are considered unborn children under state law, and that anyone who destroys them may be held liable. Authorities have not released a potential motive behind the detonation.
The memo also alleges that Calvert placed stickers on the state buildings “advocating for various political ideologies” the same night of the explosion, including stickers promoting antifa, and anti-police and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement sentiments, according to the report. Some of those stickers read “Support your local antifa.”
Calvert has expressed his “belief that violence should be directed against the government, and he has described his inability to control his own violent, aggressive impulses,” the memo added.
Calvert allegedly identifies as transgender and nonbinary and is linked to the domestic terror group Antifa, The Post Millennial reported.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
BREAKING: Suspect arrested over b*mbing at Alabama Attorney General’s office. The suspect is a trans nonbinary Antifa member.
The modern LGBTQ movement is radicalizing activists into becoming violent extremists. This uptick in LGBTQ violence is alarming. pic.twitter.com/j77u7RGQ0f
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 11, 2024
“Prosecutors have asked for Calvert to be detained without bond. Prior to the arrest, Calvert posted videos showing… his extensive Antifa propaganda before the attack he is accused of carrying out,” according to the report.
