Russell and Tschantre were arrested in Monroe County . The car which they were driving included assault rifles , body armor and more than 1000 rounds of ammunition which they had acquired after the shooting . The authorities searched Russell 's garage and found explosive precursors ammonium nitrate and nitromethane , homemade detonators and an explosive compound hexamethylene triperoxide diamine . HMTD has been used to make improvised explosive devices by other individuals and groups such as Ahmad Khan Rahimi , the perpetrator of the 2016 New York and New Jersey bombings , and ammonium nitrate and nitromethane were used by Timothy McVeigh , the perpetrator of the Oklahoma City bombing . The authorities also found thorium and americium , two radioactive substances , in Russell 's bedroom . Russell , a former student of nuclear physics at the University of South Florida and a Florida Army National Guardsman , had a framed photograph of Timothy McVeigh in his bedroom . The authorities also discovered various pieces of Atomwaffen paraphernalia and other pieces of neo-Nazi propaganda . Russell claimed the explosives were used to power model rockets , but according to an FBI bomb technician the explosives were powerful enough to destroy an airliner . The prosecutors concluded Russell “ planned to use the explosives to harm civilians , nuclear facilities and synagogues . ” In September 2017 , Russell pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered destructive device and illegally storing explosives in federal court ; in January 2018 , he was sentenced to five years in prison for those crimes
Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
Atomwaffen Division