How Twins Allegedly Spent Winter Break: Bombing Stuff

The Amish lost a couple of sheds to improvised explosives
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted May 18, 2016 9:47 AM CDT
How Twins Allegedly Spent Winter Break: Bombing Stuff
Caleb and Daniel Tate   (Chester County District Attorney's Office)

Beware of bored college students home from school. Twin brothers are accused of blowing up a number of sheds—two of them belonging to the Amish—in Chester County, Pa., while home on winter break, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The bombing spree started Dec. 20 with a mailbox. By the end of the month, a phone shed (a communal location for the Amish, who don't allow phones in their homes), well pump shed, and produce shed had all been damaged, according to KABC. A fifth bomb was set off in a wooded area. Authorities say fingerprints at one of the scenes and purchase records led to Caleb and Daniel Tate, 22, who allegedly made the improvised explosives out of fuel containers, propane canisters, metal pipes, and other items, some allegedly stolen from Walmart.

They reportedly admitted to the bombings in February and were allowed to finish out their current college semesters—giving Daniel enough time to earn his BA in psychology from California's Pepperdine University—and then returned Sunday to the state, where they were arraigned the next day. Caleb has one year remaining at Belmont University in Nashville. As for an alleged motive, Caleb's lawyer only said, "It's not something appropriate for me to get into now." The twins have been charged with arson, theft, possession of explosives, and more. A June 9 hearing has been scheduled. (More bombing stories.)

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