MARIETTA, Ga. — The suspect who set off a pipe bomb scare at a Marietta shopping center on Saturday initially called 911 on himself, according to police.
The motives of the suspect aren't yet entirely clear. Marietta Police said in a Facebook post that after he was arrested on scene, investigators determined "he was the 911 caller, as well as the owner and operator of the pickup truck containing the device."
On Saturday, the East Gate shopping plaza off Lower Roswell Road had to be cleared out after the 911 call came in just after 8 a.m. The call suggested that a parked pickup truck "may have some sort of a bomb or explosive device in the back," according to the post.
MPD officers who arrived on scene made contact with the truck's owner, a 37-year-old from Alabama, took him into custody and determined "the threat to be credible and immediately began evacuating the area."
A large law enforcement response - including the Cobb Sheriff's Office, Cobb County Police, Marietta Fire, Cobb Fire FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) - ensued.
After several hours, a robot removed a device "resembling a pipe bomb" from the truck and then searched the rest of the vehicle.
Marietta Police later learned that Cobb County Police investigators had "safely opened the suspected pipe bomb and determined that while it did contain some explosive elements, it lacked other components necessary for it to be considered a fully assembled explosive device."
MPD said that based on this, the FBI and ATF declined to take up the case, leaving it with the local department. Police said the suspect is currently at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center with a $60,000 bond and facing charges of false public alarm, false report of a crime and destructive devices - hoax device.
"The investigation remains open, and it is unclear why he traveled to Marietta, or called 911 on himself. Anyone with information is urged to contact MPD Detective Bollinger at 770-794-5345," the MPD Facebook post said. "THANK YOU to the agencies and business owners who all rallied together to help keep the public safe!"