Authorities in Florida arrested 22-year-old Garrett Smith Thursday morning after discovering him with a selfmade explosive system at a rally in help of a suspect within the January 6 Capitol riot, police mentioned.

Describing Smith as a "sleeper," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri mentioned the incident is especially worrisome. Detectives mentioned they do not know what Smith supposed to do with the explosives. He has no felony historical past, there isn't a intelligence from different companies and he has no social media, Gualtieri mentioned at a press convention.

"These are those which can be most regarding and the toughest to determine," Gualtieri mentioned.

Gualtieri added Friday that deputies noticed Smith, who lives together with his dad and mom in Oldsmar, operating away from the protest, "as if fleeing one thing." He was sporting "all black clothes, a face masking, and carrying a black backpack," in accordance with the sheriff's workplace.

"One thing prompted him to need to get out of there rapidly, however I do not know what it's," mentioned Gualtieri.

Deputies arrested Smith on costs of loitering and prowling. Whereas taking him into custody, they searched his backpack, discovering an explosive system, police mentioned. Deputies didn't discover another such units after looking the realm.

Bomb technicians confirmed the system was certainly an explosive, and deputies discovered M-80 fireworks in his automotive, mentioned Gualtieri. After acquiring a search warrant for Smith's dwelling, police mentioned, they discovered extra explosives together with a "pipe-type" and "hand grenade-type" together with nails and duct tape. Smith has been charged with possessing a harmful system.

Pinellas County Sheriff Car
A Pinellas County sheriff's deputy is parked in St Petersburg, Florida. Deputies arrested a person carrying an explosive system close to a rally in help of a January 6 Capitol riot suspect, police mentioned. Octavio Jones/Getty Pictures

"It may have been very harmful," mentioned Gualtieri. "He may have harm lots of people relying on the variety of nails or no matter different issues are within the explosive units. As a result of that is what they do: They pack it with these and it goes off and individuals are hit by it."

Smith was apprehended at a protest in help of Jeremy Brown, who's presently being held within the Pinellas County Jail on federal costs stemming from the January 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol final 12 months. Brown is being held with out bond pending trial.

Brown is a former U.S. Military Particular Forces soldier, congressional candidate and member of Oath Keepers, a far-right group, stories Orlando Weekly. Arrested in September, he faces costs of coming into a restricted constructing and disrupting authorities enterprise.

Gualtieri mentioned Smith hasn't been forthcoming and deputies do not know his political leanings, together with if he was in help of the protest or in opposition to it. However Gualtieri mentioned Smith had traveled just lately to Portland, Oregon, and he was sporting the all-black clothes favored by far-left protesters within the metropolis.

Gualtieri mentioned Smith was carrying a handwritten doc labeled "direct motion guidelines" that included black clothes, armor, pepper spray, smoke rockets, flammable rags and different gadgets.

"The place was he going to go subsequent? What was he going to do?" mentioned Gualtieri. "In fact, we do not know the reply to that, however he had all of the tools to trigger destruction."

Smith can be being held within the Pinellas County Jail. His bond has been set at $300,250.

Smith's authorized illustration is unclear. The sheriff's workplace couldn't be reached Friday night.