DALLAS — The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas has charged a Burleson man with possessing a homemade bomb, officials announced Tuesday.
Noah Robert Calderon, a 22-year-old who allegedly idolized the Columbine school shooters, was first charged through a criminal complaint on April 18, officials said. He was indicted May 10 on one count of possession of a destructive devices. Calderon made his first court appearance Monday and pleaded not guilty.
A jury will decide whether to convict Calderon. The trial is set to begin June 26.
“This defendant exhibited several indicators of potential violence: a fascination with mass shooters, an obsession with weapons, and hatred towards a protected class. What’s worse, he had allegedly progressed from ideation to planning and preparation,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton in a statement. “In apprehending Mr. Calderon, we may have averted mass tragedy."
Court documents say the FBI was alerted in October 2022 to images Calderon posted to Snapchat, where he allegedly shared images of homemade bombs, including one marked "SS" -- referencing the Nazi paramilitary organization.
The FBI received another tip in March that Calderon had set off a homemade bomb in a residential neighborhood, which was corroborated with 911 calls at the time about a loud concussive sound and smoke, officials said.
Agents reviewed Calderon's Google account afterward, officials said, and found searches for the Columbine killers, the Charleston Church shooter, as well as "pipe bomb how to make" and "how to make propane bombs." He had also searched for where the propane bombs in Columbine were placed and the names of several local public schools.
Officials said searching Calderon's e-commerce activity showed Calderon reportedly bought two pounds of potassium percholorate, a pound of aluminum powder and a striped fuse.
Federal agents executed a search warrant on April 17 at Calderon's home in Burleson. Authorities evacuated nearby homes, worried for residents' safety.
"I thought, 'Oh my, another crazy,'" said Ruby Campbell, who lives a block away from the home. She did not have to evacuate.
"This is just nuts," she added. "It could've blown up, probably, a whole block."
Authorities claim they found a brown shoe box in Calderon's garage containing items which could be used to make and detonate a bomb, reportedly including a glass jar marked "frag" containing metal bb's and lead. There was also reportedly a plastic container with 659.2 grams of explosive powder inside. And inside Calderon's room, they reportedly found a handwritten "manifesto" glorifying the Columbine shooters and espousing white supremacy.
If convicted, Calderon could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.