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On 20 February 2024, protestors in Tirana threw improvised incendiary devices (IIDs) and pyrotechnics at the office of the Albanian Prime Minister as part of a political demonstration. The IIDs, described as Molotov cocktails, and pyrotechnics, described as flares, damaged plants by the office. According to the Albanian State Police, four individuals were arrested, and six others prosecuted while at large.
On 21 February 2024, an explosive device emplaced under the front tire of a parked truck in Lima’s Surquillo district functioned, damaging the vehicle . Security cameras captured two individuals on a motorcycle emplacing the device. This was the second time the vehicle’s owner was targeted, following an explosive device functioning outside his business on 16 February. No further information was released. Local authorities are investigating the incident.
On the evening of 20 February 2024, at approximately 2300 hours local time, an IED was functioned on an ATM at a bank in Tula de Allende in Hidalgo state. The explosion caused a small fire that damaged the ATM but did not affect the rest of the bank. Approximately 12 hours later, on the morning of 21 February, an explosive device was emplaced on an ATM approximately 200 meters from the first. Workers found and extinguished a small fire, and authorities recovered an IED that had failed to fully function. Three suspects were witnessed fleeing the scene of the second attack.
On 11 February 2024, a 23-year-old man allegedly set off a pyrotechnic device near the pumps at a gas station in the 4900 block of Fallston Road in Lawndale. Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to the scene and determined that the suspect had set off a mortar-style pyrotechnic device, which is illegal in the state. CCSO deputies arrested the suspect on 17 February on charges including burning of certain buildings, possession of pyrotechnics, and going armed to the terror of the public.
On 16 February 2024, at approximately 1100 hours local time, Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Rockland County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) deputies discovered what they believed to be an IED while searching a Chester apartment on the 300 block of Pine Hollow Way. RCSO Bomb Squad technicians responded to the scene and recovered three improvised incendiary devices (IIDs), as well as bomb-making material (BMM). Law enforcement officers also discovered a firearm, four magazines, a ballistic vest, and drugs at the residence.
On 17 February 2024, at approximately 1800 hours local time, an explosive device functioned inside a Fridley residence on the 5300 block of Altura Road NE, injuring two individuals. The Fridley Police Department and Minneapolis Bomb Squad responded to the residence and determined there was no further danger to the public. Investigators believe the explosion was caused by an illegal pyrotechnic. The investigation is ongoing.
On 14 February 2024, Evansville Police Department (EPD) officers patrolling South Kentucky Avenue pulled over a vehicle after determining that its plates belonged to a different vehicle. The 56-year-old male motorist allegedly consented to a search of the vehicle after claiming he had no documentation showing proof of ownership. In the center console of the vehicle, EPD officers discovered an IED, described as a shotgun shell wrapped in blue and silver tape with a screw sticking out of the primer, and called the EPD Hazardous Devices Unit.
On 15 February 2024, the Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement’s Illegal Fireworks Task Force seized a shipping container containing approximately 24 tons of illegal pyrotechnics during a routine investigation of goods entering Honolulu Harbor. The Department of Law Enforcement described the seized fireworks as “1.3 G fireworks,” also known as display fireworks. The investigation is ongoing.
On 12 February 2024, Kauai Police Department (KPD) officers responded to a Kīlauea residence for reports of an unattended death, where they discovered the body of a deceased 37-year-old man bearing injuries “consistent with an explosive event.” KPD released a statement following the incident, reminding the public of the dangers of homemade explosives. An autopsy confirmed the death was not the result of foul play but did not provide further details.
On 20 February 2024, at approximately 1315 hours local time, Tustin Police Department officers, Orange County Bomb Squad technicians, Orange County Fire Authority officers, and Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a shopping center on the 2000 block of Edinger Avenue for a reported explosion. According to authorities, an individual detonated an IED described as an improvised pyrotechnic outside the shopping center. A 30-year-old man was arrested and cited for three misdemeanor health and safety code violations.