Who is Paul Brantly Rawls? Army vet angry over stimulus pay throws bomb outside Mar-a-Lago while Trump was inside
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: On Sunday, March 14, the FBI, Palm Beach police and a bomb squad arrived at a scene where a device lay in the middle of the street smoldering, near Mar-a-Lago. The person behind the incident was 38-year-old Paul Brantly Rawls.
This incident occurred while former President Donald Trump was inside Mar-a-Lago. According to police reports, two cars crashed while trying to avoid what they had assumed was a bomb. However, no one was hurt. The police had used surveillance camera footage to track Rawls down. The footage led the police to his license plate which was tracked. After being detained by the cops, Rawls told the police "I know why I'm here, it's because I threw a smoke bomb, it's all on video."
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Rawls informed the detectives who were investigating him that he was a combat veteran and Airborne Ranger. He also confessed to struggling since being discharged from the Army. He also expressed how frustrated and disappointed he was with the Trump administration as he was yet to receive his stimulus check. This allegedly prompted him to throw the smoke bomb.
The police found nine smoke bombs, four flares, four five-minute white smoke devices, a 12-foot hook, nylon rope, and a single black glove after searching Rawls's car. It was also reported that Rawls had driven back and forth between West Palm Beach and the place of incident on at least eight occasions since March 1.
It has also been revealed that Trump was oblivious to the commotion outside of his Florida resort as the smoke bomb couldn't be heard or seen inside the club. There are also claims that the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office was reportedly forced to dispatch the bomb squad to further investigate the surrounding areas for any other devices.
The investigators also revealed that the device which is a 7.5 inches fused incendiary named "5 Minute White Smoke" was found in the middle of South Ocean Boulevard. They also revealed that the device was made by Pyro U. When the investigators called to contact him, Rawls said, "I know the real reason you want to talk to me." According to the footage quoted by the arrest document, a person was spotted throwing the bomb from a gray Volkswagen.
Rawls is facing charges on counts of making, possessing, throwing or discharging any destructive device, one count of criminal mischief, and one count of disorderly conduct. He is currently being held at Palm Beach County Jail on a $21,000 bond.
This is not the first crime that has been triggered by stimulus checks. 25-year-old ex-con Malik Halfacre in Indianapolis reportedly killed a mother, her seven-year-old daughter, and three family members for not sharing the stimulus check with him. He then took off with a six-month-old baby who was later found unharmed after a statewide amber alert had been issued.