Ex-student arrested with weapons cache and explosives near Cornell campus

[livingston]

Ex-student arrested with weapons cache and explosives near Cornell campus
Maximilien R. Reynolds who suffers from schizoaffective bipolar disorder with paranoid features arrested by FBI after tip from suspicious Wal-Mart employee
This afternoon a campus-wide email was circulated by the administration of Cornell University alerting the campus to the arrest of a former student, Maximilien R. Reynolds ’19:


Dear Ithaca Campus Community,

On Thursday, March 15, FBI agents arrested Maximilien R. Reynolds, a former Cornell student, following the reported seizure by the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) earlier this month of a number of weapons at his residence in Collegetown. Please know that the Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) is working in cooperation with IPD and the FBI, and law enforcement does not believe that there is currently a threat to the campus or to Collegetown.

The arrest was made following a tip from a good Samaritan in the local community. This is a good reminder that we can all help to keep our community safe by immediately reporting suspicious activity. To learn more about ways to prepare for any emergency situation, please visit emergency.cornell.edu.

We are grateful to IPD and to the FBI for their work on this case, and we thank them and CUPD for all of their efforts – every day – to protect our community.

Joel M. Malina
Vice President for University Relations



Cornell Daily Sun reporter Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs has his usual excellent reporting on the story, FBI agents and local police found guns, bomb-making materials and tactical gear inside a former student’s studio apartment, 8K, in Collegetown Plaza.

FBI agents and local police seized an unassembled AR-15 rifle, bomb-like devices, a bulletproof vest, large quantities of ammunition, a homemade silencer, a gas mask and more from a former Cornell University student’s apartment last week, the authorities said.

More ....
Ex-student arrested with weapons cache and explosives near Cornell campus

 

[kev74]

Woo hoo!!!!!! They got one!! THE FBI GOT ONE!!!!!!!

 

[livingston]

Police arrested the former student, Maximilien R. Reynolds ’19, who is 20 years old, and federal prosecutor Richard Southwick charged him with several federal crimes, accusing him of possessing “essentially a bomb” and of paying someone to purchase a firearm for him from a vendor in Tompkins County….

“Collectively all of these items certainly suggest a specific recipe for large scale destruction,” Ithaca Police Chief Pete Tyler said….
FBI agents and local police seized an unassembled AR-15 rifle, bomb-like devices, a bulletproof vest, large quantities of ammunition, a homemade silencer, a gas mask and more from a former Cornell University student’s apartment last week, the authorities said.
suspicious Wal-Mart employee:

7. …. Maximilien R. REYNOLDS had earlier purchased firearms ammunition, along with camping gear, drill bits, miscellaneous tools, hacksaw blades, knives, and some additional items that were deemed suspicious by an employee of the Wal-Mart store in Ithaca, New York, who contacted the IPD. The IPD and FBI were able to determine that the items in question were purchased at Wal-Mart by Maximilien R. REYNOLDS using a gift card…..

. Also located were over 300 live rounds of firearm ammunition, much of which was contained in high capacity magazine clips that are compatible with the Savage MSR-15 Patrol rifle located in the apartment. Also located in the apartment were two sets of ballistic body armor, a gas mask, a metal or steel pipe with one endcap, and numerous labeled containers of chemicals consistent with pre-cursor chemicals used in the manufacture of homemade explosives. Also located were numerous ball barings of numerous sizes that could be used as fragmentation or shrapnel in an explosive device.

One wonders what items were deemed suspicious

 

[kev74]

Police arrested the former student, Maximilien R. Reynolds ’19, who is 20 years old, and federal prosecutor Richard Southwick charged him with several federal crimes, accusing him of possessing “essentially a bomb” and of paying someone to purchase a firearm for him from a vendor in Tompkins County….

“Collectively all of these items certainly suggest a specific recipe for large scale destruction,” Ithaca Police Chief Pete Tyler said….
FBI agents and local police seized an unassembled AR-15 rifle, bomb-like devices, a bulletproof vest, large quantities of ammunition, a homemade silencer, a gas mask and more from a former Cornell University student’s apartment last week, the authorities said.
suspicious Wal-Mart employee:

7. …. Maximilien R. REYNOLDS had earlier purchased firearms ammunition, along with camping gear, drill bits, miscellaneous tools, hacksaw blades, knives, and some additional items that were deemed suspicious by an employee of the Wal-Mart store in Ithaca, New York, who contacted the IPD. The IPD and FBI were able to determine that the items in question were purchased at Wal-Mart by Maximilien R. REYNOLDS using a gift card…..

. Also located were over 300 live rounds of firearm ammunition, much of which was contained in high capacity magazine clips that are compatible with the Savage MSR-15 Patrol rifle located in the apartment. Also located in the apartment were two sets of ballistic body armor, a gas mask, a metal or steel pipe with one endcap, and numerous labeled containers of chemicals consistent with pre-cursor chemicals used in the manufacture of homemade explosives. Also located were numerous ball barings of numerous sizes that could be used as fragmentation or shrapnel in an explosive device.

One wonders what items were deemed suspicious

Reading though the stuff in the first link, he had some firework mortars covered with shot pellets (destructive device) and an oil filter silencer adapter. He also had some unspecified chemicals.

 

[C3D]

HOLY SHIT! I used to live in 8A in that building, bomber lived in 8K! We're neighbors.

 

[Acer-m14]

Also located were over 300 live rounds of firearm ammunition, much of which was contained in high capacity magazine clips that are

 

[tirwin1]

Glad they caught the crazy bastard. My daughter is at Cornell. Son of a bitch!

 

[Acer-m14]

Glad they caught the crazy bastard. My daughter is at Cornell. Son of a bitch!

who said he was crazy ??? was he off his med's ???

look into any reloaders room ... what could they come up with to report to make it sound like your a nut case ?? ..

Off some Tip from wallyworld ..

 

[96coal449]

I would not doubt the inflated propaganda properties of the "success" of this story. Just in time to praise the unSAFEact, pre elections.

 

[Catskillkid]

So a straw purchases actually got him the gun? Still unsure whether the rifle was unSAFE compliant.

Sounds like the guy was off his rocker (the bomb making stuff is worrisome), but to think, all it takes is a tip from someone and your whole life could be upended. But at 96coal449 says, this is a way for the FBI to come out and say "Look! We redeemed ourselves! We stopped a school/university shooter!"

 

[Phauxtoe]

Where there any links to that terrorist group The NRA

 

[MoMan]

Also located were over 300 live rounds of firearm ammunition, much of which was contained in high capacity magazine clips

300 "live" rounds, oh my God, say it isn't so!!
AND the "high capacity clip", I won't even make a comment about that, because here in America we consider that a "standard capacity MAG"!!

So a straw purchases actually got him the gun?

I didn't see anything about them arresting the "straw purchaser". But then again, what difference does it make if they're just going to get probation?

 

[Glenn B]

who said he was crazy ??? was he off his med's ??? ...

I guess you did not read the whole of the linked article from the opening post.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

I need more information and details before I give my .02 cents

A tragedy may have been averted, which is news
Or,
A guys life was just ruined because someone at Wal-Mart didntblike him and the FBI will make an example out of this guy now

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

I need more information and details before I give my .02 cents

A tragedy may have been averted, which is great news
Or,
A guys life was just ruined because someone at Wal-Mart didntblike him and the FBI will make an example out of this guy now

 

[C3D]

A guy’s life was ruined because he broke the law. Whether or not we agree with the law.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

A guy’s life was ruined because he broke the law. Whether or not we agree with the law.

What laws did he break?
(in not being snarky, I might have missed it, reading from my phone)

 

[C3D]

Assault weapon and hi cap mag

 

[kev74]

And silencer.

 

[kev74]

And destructive devices.

 

[C3D]

I’m skeptical on the DD and silencer bits. Possessing bomb making chemicals could mean he had black powder. And a tube does not a silencer make.

But on the AW and mag charges, if they had a good warrant they have him on those.

 

[96coal449]

In reality no laws were broken. Improvised destructive devices and suppressors fall on the NFA act, and of course for the ATF to enforce. Then again the suppressor was "home made." Why wasn't it legal? Like a ghost gun?

The AW thing and high cap mags don't even hold up to the state constitution. It's just legislation ....