Boston Marathon bombing referenced in NY, NJ attacker’s note

By: Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Investigators in the New York and New Jersey attacks found a hand-written note in one of the bombs, referencing the Boston Marathon bombing.

The rambling note was inside one of the pressure cookers that did not go off, according to investigators.

Authorities believe HMTD was used for the explosives.

"These are quite powerful,” explained Dr. Jimmy Oxley, an explosives expert at URI. “A little bit of explosive will do a lot of damage."

Oxley says finding a recipe for HMTD is as simple as an internet search, but mastering it is another story. "[The suspect] wasn’t just fooling around,” said Oxley. “He was trying to hurt someone."

The recent attacks in New York and New Jersey, as well as the Boston Marathon bombing all used homemade bombs made out of pressure cookers, but the black powder explosive used in the marathon bombing was much less potent than HMTD.

Now authorities are trying to look into the suspect’s motives and whether he worked alone or as part of a larger group.

"We see a significant increase in the number of the amount of individuals that are being radicalized online, inspired online, and then driven to conduct some type of attack," Special Agent Harold Shaw with FBI Boston said.

If the explosive used was HMTD, there’s a chance the suspect may not have been a lone wolf, according to Oxley, because he would have to be highly skilled in that dangerous chemistry.

© WLNE-TV 2016