Explosives expert discusses dangers of weapons planned for attack in Garden City

Curtis Allen, Gavin Wright and Patrick Stein are accused of plotting to use either four vehicles, or four to six barrels filled with explosives to blow up a Garden City apartment complex and mosque.

The criminal complaint alleges Stein's plan as of last month, was to use 35-gallon trash cans, or 55-gallon containers to hold explosives. The materials were some of the same ingredients that were used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

The ingredients included ammonium nitrate--something found in fertilizers and diesel.

"Fertilizer is very readily available," says South Florida Bomb Squad Commander Steven Castell. "A 55-gallon drum, or even large garbage-can-type containers, if you fill that with homemade explosives or ammo, that can pack a serious punch."

Fifty-five gallon containers were also used to hold the explosives in the Oklahoma City bombing.

"It's very dangerous and a lot of these explosives are extremely potent," Castell says.

Kansas investigators couldn't comment on the type of bombs the suspects planned to make since the investigation is ongoing But Castell says neighbors and vendors need to keep an eye out for what people are buying.

"It's important for that neighbor, that person in the community to be vigilant and identify certain signs and report it to the community," he says.