Florida Man Wanted to 'get Even' With Authorities With Homemade Weapons for Mass Destruction

874111956
Law enforcement officers investigate the scene where a Lake Minneola High School student shot and killed himself in front of the school Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 in Minneola, Fla. Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel

A 31-year-old Florida man was arrested for creating homemade weapons using chemicals used for mass destruction. Authorities said they discovered explosive devices and 200 containers of acid, unknown powders, bodily fluids, and other unknown materials inside the home of Christopher Langer, WKMG-TV reported.

County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said that Langer was one step away from making weapons of mass destruction, as the chemicals were similar to the ones used in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. "He has all the components in there to make a weapon of mass destruction," Chitwood told WKMG-TV.

Police were responding to a domestic abuse call when Langer told his parents he placed an explosive device inside of a grenade, according to officials. Authorities found Langer outside and intoxicated when they arrived at the scene where they found the grenade.

The police evacuated the home and found bomb-making materials and a Spongebob Squarepants lunchbox designed as a booby trap. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives collected 79 containers that were placed in a containment area.

The containers, etc., we pulled out of the DeBary home w/ explosive devices. Many of these contain urine. But he also had all the ingredients to make bombs pic.twitter.com/wq6ttwr8dP

— Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) November 13, 2017

Chitwood called Langer an anti-government heroin addict and said they had recently saved his life after he overdosed on heroin two weeks ago. Chitwood said the addict wanted to "get even" by harming first responders.

"Two weeks ago, we saved your goddamn life, and now we're here, two weeks later, and you're talking about how you want to blow us all up," Chitwood said.

Langer's parents said they had no idea their son was making homemade bombs. Langer has been charged with making and possessing a destructive device.

This is not the first time authorities have arrested someone for trying to make a bomb from their home. A New York man was convicted in 2015 for attempting to acquire a radiation weapon for mass destruction. Glendon Scott Crawford, 51, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, said he and an accomplice acquired an X-ray device that they planned to use as a "death X-ray." Their goal was to kill "enemies of Israel."

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Maria Perez is a breaking news reporter for Newsweek. She has an M.A in Urban Reporting from the CUNY Graduate School ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go