Explosives lab found in basement of teen's home in Moorestown, police say

MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) -- Police say what appears to have started as a science project resulted in the FBI and New Jersey state police discovering a bomb lab in the basement of one teen's Moorestown home.

Officials are not identifying the teenager, nor could they say if he was in custody as of late Monday afternoon.

Authorities did say his parents are fully cooperating.

Police say it does not appear the teen had any targets or made any threats.

The discovery was made Saturday after a teenager called police when she was among a group of young people working on a science project.

The teenage suspect apparently went to the backyard of a home on Cove Road and detonated several explosives.

The police response led to the execution of a search warrant on the home the teen shares with his parents in the 400 block of East Oak Avenue.

Inside, authorities say they found a lab in the basement with materials for explosive devices.

"He had a lab in the basement that had additional explosive material, so that was removed because of the volatility of that material that was denoted in their backyard," said Moorestown's Director of Police, Patrick Reilly.

"It was a decent-sized lab in the basement," Reilly continued. "The bomb techs said it was not a normal type home lab."

Reilly said it appears the investigation started with the teen offering to help with his "expertise."

"He brought his material over to help them build what they wanted to build," said Reilly.

When police served a search warrant on the teen's home, they detonated "volatile" material discovered.

Neighbors felt the explosion. Soujanya Gamini heard the commotion.

"I thought there was an earthquake or something. I didn't realize what was going on," said Gamini.

During a news conference, Reilly stated, "At this point, we're pretty confident that there are no threats out there."

The Moorestown School District swept several schools as a precaution, including Moorestown High School, William Allen Middle School and Upper Elementary School.

There was an increased police presence at Moorestown High School on Monday out of precaution. The suspect turned 18 over the weekend, according to police.

Police said Monday they don't know if he is in custody, referring the media to prosecutors and the FBI.

"The Feds are tracking him now and they are keeping us abreast," said Reilly. Reporter Annie McCormick asked, "Would you call him a fugitive?" Reilly responded: "We're working with federal authorities now to see how they want to handle it. Again, it all depends on the lab results."

The FBI has not responded to our inquiry. The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office would only say, "We are determining the specific charges to be filed. There is no danger to the public at this time in connection with this incident."

Moorestown's Superintendent Dr. Courtney McNeely released this statement to parents:

Moorestown Township Public Schools was made aware today of a law enforcement investigation involving alleged hazardous materials apparently discovered at two residences in the community. Local, state, and federal agencies responded swiftly to secure and remove all materials.

Importantly, authorities confirmed that the areas involved are now safe. This incident did not occur on school property and authorities advised us that our campuses are not involved.

Regardless, the safety of our educational community is our first priority, and we are taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of our students and staff. We are working with the Moorestown Township Police Department to conduct precautionary sweeps of Moorestown High School, William Allen Middle School, and the Upper Elementary School before students arrive on Monday morning.

Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, there will be increased police presence at Moorestown schools throughout the day on Monday, June 9. This is purely a preventative measure to provide reassurance and support for our school community.

We are committed to transparency and safety, and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation. Authorities assure us there is no threat to our schools.

Questions or concerns may be directed to Superintendent Dr. Courtney McNeely atcmcneely@mtps.com.

We thank our officials, administrators, teachers, staff, and families for their continued partnership in keeping Moorestown schools safe.