US Attorney: Garden City Bombing Plot Foiled

Garden City, KS (westernkansasnews.com) Acting US Attorney Tom Beall says after an eight month investigation federal authorities have charged three men from Southwest Kansas with conspiring to bomb an apartment complex on West Mary Street in Garden City where Somali immigrants live and worship.

The criminal complaint unsealed on Friday has accused the men of conducting surveillance to size up potential targets, stockpile firearms and explosive ammunition and prepared a manifesto after the bombing.  The attack according to the release wanted to “wake people up”.

The three men 49 year old Curtis Allen and 49 year old Gavin Wright both of Liberal and 47 year Patrick Stein of Wright have all been charged with one count for conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.   

Authorities say the discussion among the three men were to obtain four vehicles, fill them with explosives and park them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create an explosion.

This investigation involved the FBI and numerous law enforcement agencies in  Southwest Kansas.