5 Things to Know About the Pipe Bomb Saga

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Thursday, October 25, 2018

This trip wire pipe bomb improvised explosive device simulator used to train U.S. military service personnel is displayed in the U.S. Army Training Support Center at Fort Gordon, Georgia. | (PHOTO: WIKI MEDIA COMMONS/MARLENE THOMPSON)

1. What is a pipe bomb?

A pipe bomb is another name for an improvised explosive device that is tightly concealed in a section of small piping filled with explosive materials and sealed off.

The bombs rely on the tight containment inside the pipe to produce increased pressure to create a lethal explosion without the need for a high-level explosive.

The explosion causes the pipe itself to break into fragments that create shrapnel that can kill or maim those in proximity. Additionally, other shrapnel materials are sometimes added to make the bombs even more dangerous. Bombs can sometimes be connected to a detonation timer.

Pipe bombs have also been used by terrorists and militias across the world. Last year, pipe bombs were used in a bombing in Minnesota and an attempted bombing in Illinois.