MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A man accused of having highly-sensitive homemade explosive material says he never planned to hurt anyone.
Authorities began investigating 52-year-old James R Hoskins Jr. on Monday afternoon, after they say he made "concerning statements" to a worker at a mental health facility.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office says Hoskins made threats toward a roommate and admitted to having various materials used to make "small rocket motors." Manatee County Hazmat officials and the sheriff's office bomb squad were dispatched. Deputies say Hoskins let them view his self-proclaimed powder room -- where suspicious chemicals were found.
"A majority of the items that were tested came back as precursors for making explosives," the sheriff's office said.
One of the bags contained 2-3 pounds of TATP. Investigators say it's an organic peroxide, highly sensitive homemade explosive. According to the New York Times, it's the same type of explosive used in the November 2015 Paris attacks.
A device was also found with the powder, deputies say. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will help examine the device to determine if it's destructive.
Bomb techs put the TATP into a container and detonated it at a gun range Monday night in east Manatee County.
Detectives say Hoskins told them he bought all the materials online and made the TATP himself.
"He understood how dangerous it was and wrote a statement apologizing for his actions," the sheriff's office explained in an email. "Hoskins also admitted that he made some statements earlier about his roommate, but he never intended to harm anyone."
Hoskins was taken into protective custody. As a felon, he is prohibited from possessing or making explosives. His prior convictions include grand theft, forgery and battery, according to court records.
Specific charges have not yet been announced, but deputies say they are "forthcoming."
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