Warren bomb suspect is outlaw motorcycle gang member with extensive criminal record

A Warren man is clinging to life after an explosion tore through his body while he appeared to be building a bomb, police said.

The 38-year-old man was in critical condition Monday morning, with second- and third-degree burns over 55% of his body, Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer tells Metro Times.

“If he survives, he’s going to be in the hospital for several months,” Dwyer says.

Police found several small explosive devices and “an arsenal of firearms,” including more than a dozen handguns and rifles, AR-style magazines, and 4,000 rounds of ammunition, Dwyer says.

The man, whose identity has not yet been released, was no stranger to police. The Warren Police Special Operations Unit was working with an undisclosed federal law enforcement agency to investigate him in connection with illegal firearms. That federal agency had placed the man on its watch list, Dwyer says.

He’s also a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang and has an extensive criminal record that ranges from possessing drugs and dangerous weapons to resisting police, Dwyer says.

Authorities are still trying to figure why he was building a bomb and had so many weapons.

“I don’t want to speculate and I don’t want to give any information out as far as our investigation, other than to say that I think by the looks of what was seized, there certainly was some criminal intent,” Dwyer says.

The explosion occurred in a garage and spread to the house at 20754 Gentner St. at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Police may have prevented him from dying.

“A police officer put a tourniquet on his arm that probably prevented him from bleeding out,” Dwyer says. “The officer probably saved his life.”

While the most extensive injuries were on his arms, Dwyer disputed news reports that stated the man lost both of his arms.

“It’s just incredible that this explosion started in the garage and spread,” Dwyer says. “It’s fortunate that there was no damage to other homes or that any other people were seriously injured or killed.”

The man is under investigation for manufacturing illegal weapons. Dwyer says police plan to file a report with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for charges.

Stay connected with Detroit Metro Times. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Google News, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, or TikTok.