Olympic Blast Probe Is Said to Focus on Battery
The battery that was likely used to detonate the bomb at Centennial Olympic Park came from a South Florida hardware chain, Atlanta television station WXIA reported Thursday.
The 12-volt battery, a type commonly used for lanterns, was in a shipment of 24 batteries delivered to the Sewell Hardware chain earlier this year, owner Worley Sewell told the television station.
The battery was tracked to the West Palm Beach, Fla.-based chain by its lot number.
Sewell said an FBI agent who visited the chain’s headquarters Thursday told him the battery was used to detonate the bomb. It wasn’t clear if the battery was stolen or sold to someone.
The July 27 explosion killed a Georgia woman and injured more than 100 people. A Turkish news cameraman died running to the scene.
FBI agents told Sewell they hope to track down which store the battery came from but an initial computer check of the chain’s 11 outlets did not pinpoint the one, Sewell said.
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