Savage
Police said an explosive device four MSU freshmen detonated Nov. 2 in an East Lansing yard had the potential to seriously injure or kill a person, but a resident of the property said he believes the incident was a joke and the students had no intention of harm.
“That is out of the question,” said no-preference sophomore Eric Flatley, who also went to high school with three of the four suspects. “They’re nice girls, very nice girls. I’m sure the guy is, too. There’s no way they would do that.”
But MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said the explosives Olivia M. Hudson, 18, of Okemos; Darby D. Dudley, 18, of Mason; Sasha N. Savage, 18, of Okemos; and Nikolai E. Wasielewski, 18, of Rossford, Ohio, threw from their car window were not common firecrackers. They were commercially produced three-inch mortars that only are available to license holders, and had been modified to delay the explosion by about five seconds, she said.
“I don’t know if it’s a big deal they were modified, but I guess that gives you more time to get away before they go off,” she said.
The students were arrested just after midnight Nov. 2 during a traffic stop in the Holden Hall service area parking lot, after East Lansing police received a call about an explosion on the 400 block of Grove Street.
Flatley previously told The State News he did not know the four, but said Sunday he had not been made aware of their identities at that time.
The students are charged with placing explosives and causing property damage and possession of bombs with unlawful intent. They face up to 20 years in prison and/or a $15,000 fine for each charge.
East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said no damage was caused by the blast.
Flatley said the charges are too severe and the felony charges are unfair. There was no damage to his yard and the students could not have meant to hurt anyone, he said.
Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III would not specify what evidence led to the charges, but said the students were charged with “exactly what they did” and investigators have evidence to back up the charges.
“Some people think, ‘My god, why are they being charged with felonies for something we might use on the Fourth of July?’” he said. “This is not that. We are not talking fireworks; we’re talking explosives.”
Dunnings said he could not comment on specifics of the case, but said officials from the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad expressed “a high degree” of concern that anyone had the device in their possession. Police found two additional devices in the students’ vehicle during the traffic stop.
East Lansing police Capt. Kim Johnson said he did not know why the students targeted the house or where they acquired the mortars.
Neither the students nor their attorneys could be reached for comment by The State News.
A pretrial examination is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
