A man named Kyle Calvert, 26, of Irondale, Alabama, was arrested and indicted this week on charges that he detonated an explosive device outside the Alabama attorney general’s office in late February, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday.
The device was set off on Feb. 24 at approximately 3:42 a.m. outside the Montgomery office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, authorities said. No one was injured, and the contents of the exploded device were only discovered by staffers from the attorney general’s office when they arrived at work the following day, authorities said.
“That device had the characteristics of an IED, and Calvert added a substantial number of nails and other shrapnel to increase its destructive capability,” a U.S. attorney’s office wrote in a detention memo filed Wednesday, using the initialism for an improvised explosive device.
The memo alleges that law enforcement officers found that the suspect also placed stickers on state buildings “advocating for various political ideologies” the night of the explosion, including stickers promoting Antifa, anti-police, and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement sentiments.
The FBI pulled surveillance footage from around the area that showed the subject placing stickers around Montgomery before planting the explosive device, according to court filings. One of the stickers read “Support your local Antifa,” while others included phrases such as “EAT THE RICH,” “FEMINIST ACTION,” and “ABOLISH ICE,” according to the filings.
Calvert allegedly posted about his “violent impulses” and his frustrations with the government on social media, according to the filings. “How the f— are we not killing the government right now!” According to the filings, Calvert reportedly said in a video posted on Dec. 12, 2023.
If he is convicted, Calvert could face up to 20 years of imprisonment with a mandatory minimum of five years behind bars, the Justice Department said. One of the charges carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, while another has a maximum of 10 years in prison, but the sentences could run concurrently, the Justice Department said.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland thanked the FBI and law enforcement partners, adding in a statement, “The Justice Department has no tolerance for acts of violence targeting those who serve the public.”