CHARLOTTE — At a press conference this morning, officials released a composite sketch
of a man they describe as a “material witness” in the investigation of a bomb
found in the Concord Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse on Sept. 28.“An individual is being sought for
questioning in hopes of developing information that may lead to the identity of the
person(s) responsible for the device,” the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
said in a prepared statement. The sketch shows “an individual who was in the Concord
store on that day and who may have information valuable to law enforcement.”
An artist made the sketch from a
description provided a witness who was in the store that day. Richard Fox, special agent
in charge of ATF’s Charlotte office, said today that investigators “have reason
to believe” that pictures taken by security cameras at the Concord store support the
description provided by the witness.
Investigators have not been able
to identify the person in the picture. Officials describe the man as white, 5 feet 7 to 5
feet 10 inches tall, 180 to 200 pounds, with a medium build and short, brown hair. They
are asking anyone with information about the man to call a 24-hour “hotline”
— 1-888-ATF-BOMB (1-888-282-2662) or the nearest local law enforcement office or
branch of the State Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation or Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Fox said investigators don’t
know if the “material witness” was present at the other two stores.
Federal officials, working with
local and state law enforcement agencies on the investigation, have refused to say much
about the investigation. As late as Monday, federal spokesman Earl Woodham told the Post
that he was not aware of any security camera pictures or composite of a witness or
suspect. A day after the Post inquired, Woodham announced that the press conference in
Charlotte had been scheduled.
The “improvised explosive
device” was found at the Concord Lowe’s less than two weeks after two bombs
detonated in the Salisbury and Asheboro Lowe’s stores. The bombs exploded within two
minutes of each other, injuring three people.
Investigators later said all three
explosive devices were linked.
Reports surfaced later that the
bombings might be linked to the fatal crash last spring at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The
company reported received threats from someone who felt victims of the crash had not been
treated fairly. |
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