U.S. News

Report: Student set off explosion in dorm

Published: Nov. 26, 2012 at 11:08 AM

MELBOURNE, Fla., Nov. 26 (UPI) -- A student at the Florida Institute of Technology is facing charges for allegedly using a homemade device to cause an explosion in a dormitory, records show.

No injuries were reported.

Christian Barnes Duke is accused of making, possessing and discharging a destructive device on school property, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

The 19-year-old student told police he learned how to build the device using common household chemicals by watching the show "MythBusters" on the Discovery Channel, records show.

"The combination of the ingredients used by Duke caused a chemical reaction that brings the compound to a high temperature, thus causing extreme pressures to build within the container by the expanding gas until the device explodes," an incident report stated.

Duke allegedly placed the device in a stairwell of the dormitory early Sunday and "detonated the device causing a loud blast," inside the dormitory, the report stated.

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