Police kill local man wanted in mosque bombing

According to reports received by Historic City News today, St. Johns County resident, Sandlin Smith, was shot and killed by officers with the FBI and Oklahoma Highway Patrol when they attempted to take him into custody in connection with a bombing that occurred last year.

Smith, a 46 year-old white man, lived with his wife and children at 1244 Lake Parke Drive in St. Johns. In May 2010, law enforcement officials say Smith was responsible for bombing the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida in Jacksonville.

Federal officers say Smith, who was reported to be armed, was confronted in Glass Mountain State Park, near Fairview, at about 1:30 p.m. local time in Oklahoma today.

Investigators have been studying a grainy nighttime video of a man carrying a pipe and gas can to the back of the mosque on the night of the bombing. The FBI has not provided any possible motive for the mosque attack.

Smith was wanted for placing a crude pipe bomb behind the Jacksonville mosque. No one was injured when the bomb detonated.

Smith was charged with damaging religious property, obstruction of persons in free exercise of religious beliefs, possession and transfer of a destructive device, possession of an unregistered firearm.

After he fled to Oklahoma over the weekend, he was also charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The Islamic Center of Northeast Florida released the following statement today:
“The membership and constituents of the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida join all citizens of goodwill in Jacksonville to express their relief that any threat posed by the person suspected in the bombing of the Islamic Center has ceased as well convey their regret that any lives were lost. We commend the efforts of our law enforcement officials, specifically the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. We appreciate the diligence with which they have acted in order to bring this matter to a close. We thank members of our congregation, the broader interfaith community, and all people of conscience who have been steadfast in their support of the Islamic Center throughout this ordeal.”

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News archive photograph