Suspect pleads guilty to explosion outside Alabama Attorney General’s office

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – The man who built and detonated a bomb outside the Alabama attorney general’s office formally pleaded guilty in federal court Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, of Irondale, Alabama, agreed to amend his request on August 6. He initially entered a not guilty plea after his arrest in April.

The plea agreement and court documents show that in the early morning hours of February 24, 2024, Calvert detonated an explosive device outside the office building housing the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, located in downtown Montgomery, across the street from the Capitol.

The DOJ said Calvert admitted during his plea hearing to building the device, using nails and screws as shrapnel and accelerants to create an explosion. Before planting the device, the DOJ said Calvert placed stickers on several buildings in downtown Montgomery with images advocating various political ideologies. The DOJ said some of the stickers included the phrase “Support your local antifa,” though Calvert, as reflected in his plea agreement, maintains he has no ties to antifa.

After planting the bomb, the Justice Department said Calvert lit the fuse and fled, although his image was captured on security cameras in the area. Despite the explosion, there were no injuries.

The incident led to investigations by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Calvert was arrested and charged on April 10.

Calvert will be sentenced in the coming months, and could face a prison sentence of 5 to 20 years, with no possibility of parole.

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