Hinrichs may not have intended to kill himself

The Oklahoman's got another article on Joel Henry Hinrichs III (Hat tip: Mark Tapscott and Michelle Malkin), in which a member of the police bomb squad investigating the blowup outside the Norman stadium says that he believes Hinrichs did not intend to kill himself when bringing a bomb there. If not, then the reports of a suicide note being found now stand contradicted. From the report:

A Norman police bomb expert said Tuesday he does not believe University of Oklahoma student Joel Henry Hinrichs III committed suicide by blowing himself up outside a packed football stadium.

"I believe he accidentally blew himself up," Sgt. George Mauldin said.

Mauldin said Hinrichs, 21, an engineering student, had two to three pounds of triacetone triperoxide, commonly known as TATP, in a backpack in his lap when it exploded Oct. 1.

When asked if he believed Hinrichs meant to enter the stadium with the explosives, Mauldin replied, "I don't believe he intended for an explosion to occur at that spot (on the park bench)."

"Some of us will forever wonder what he (Hinrichs) was doing at that time, at that place," Police Chief Phil Cotten said.

Hinrichs was sitting on a park bench 173 yards from the OU stadium during the second quarter of OU's night game against Kansas State when the TATP inside his backpack detonated.

"Someone saw him fiddling with it (the backpack) shortly before the explosion occurred. I think he got cocky, and it went off," Mauldin said.

Yes, it could be possible that he panicked and accidentally pulled the trigger on himself if someone spotted him where he was sitting. And as for his plans regarding the bomb he was carrying in his knapsack, was he planning to hide it in the stadium, and then trigger it from a distance? Good question.

Cross-posted to Tel-Chai Nation.