Evansville Police Arrest Woman Who Planned to Use Incendiary Devices at Former School
EPD Takes Woman in for Evaluation at St. Vincent
Evansville Police have shared details about a disturbing case involving a Warrick County woman who admitted to planning a violent attack on her former high school.
EPD Finds Homemade Incendiary Devices
On Sunday, an EPD officer transported a 19-year-old woman to St. Vincent for an evaluation. During that process, the officer found two homemade devices that were later identified as homemade incendiary devices.
The object appeared to be a pill bottle wrapped in duct tape, with a matchstick protruding from the lid and a piece of cloth attached. A second suspicious item was also located in the backpack: an aluminum pipe sealed at both ends with duct tape. The St. Vincent Police Officer identified what appeared to be incendiary materials inside the pipe, accompanied by a strong chemical odor.
More Devices at Her Residence
EPD’s Bomb Technicians were called in, and after interviewing the woman, she admitted to making the devices. She also told investigators that more were at her home in Warrick County.
The EPD Hazardous Devices Unit obtained a search warrent and searched her home where they recovered two additional devices inside modified Monster Energy drink bottles, made the same way as those found in her backpack.
Intent to Use Devices at her Former School
According to police, the woman confessed she had planned to use the devices at the school she once attended with the intent to harm others.
She was arrested and charged with Possession of a Destructive Device. The investigation is ongoing.
Public Reactions
In the comments on the EPD Facebook post, a lot of people are thanking the Evansville Police Department for acting quickly and keeping the community safe, especially considering what could have happened if they hadn’t.
But others are looking at it from a different angle.
We still don’t know exactly what led this 19-year-old woman to target her former high school, or why the responding officer made the decision to take her to the hospital for an evaluation rather than jail. Some commenters believe this could be a case of someone in the middle of a serious mental health crisis, and are calling for it to be treated that way.
It’s a complicated situation, and reactions are understandably mixed. What’s clear is this: thanks to the quick response of the EPD, no one was hurt. But it’s also opening up a bigger conversation about how we handle mental health, safety, and justice when all three intersect.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, consider using the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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