Owen McIntire, a 19-year-old US college student, was arrested and charged in connection to the arson case targetting a Tesla dealership in Kansas City, Missouri, the Department of Justice announced on Friday.
During President Donald Trump’s second term in office, Tesla CEO Elon Musk worked alongside him as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). With the billionaire pushing for federal cuts, which ultimately led to jobs losses and agencies being terminated, the vehement backlash against him fuelled boycott campaigns and Tesla vandalism incidents.
Among the continuing reports on vehicles being set ablaze and dealerships destroyed, Owen McIntire came in focus for allegedly firebombing one such showroom in Missouri.
About Owen McIntire
The 19-year-old American student tied to University of Massachusetts Boston has since been charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce, as per the DOJ’s Friday press release. Public records indicate his parents are professional musicians.
DOJ’s affidavit shows that investigator have reviewed McIntire’s public Facebook account. A photograph identifying the teen was also attached to the official doc. Further reviewing his social media activity on Instagram on March 19, investigators revealed that he posted a story featuring a video “where the person taking the video was standing on the deck of a residence, and the story was caption ‘It’s SNOWING.'” This matches with the day’s light snowfall condition in the Kansas City metropolitan area, as per the National Weather Service.
What do we know about Owen McIntire allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership
The Department of Justice has now revealed details of the University of Massachusetts Boston student’s alleged crime. Accordingly, it’s been reported that Owen McIntire was back in his hometown of Parkville, Missouri, for spring break on March 17.
It is then that he is believed to have driven to a nearby Kansas City Tesla dealership in addition to throwing two Molotov cocktails at a Cybertruck. The incident ultimately resulted in a fire and and thousands of dollars-worth damage as the spreading blaze consumed a second Cybertruck.
McIntire allegedly used two homemade incendiary devices to destroy the Cybertrucks, which were priced at $105,485 and $107,495. Only one of the two bottle bombs exploded. The incident occurred near the Kansas City Tesla Center. In addition to the aforementioned damage, two charging were also affected by the fire, each valued at $550, according to Newsweek.
As the Fire Department responded to the flaming emergency at the time, an discovered witnessed smoke emerging from a gray Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. He also saw an unbroken “suspected incendiary device,” or Molotov cocktail near the burning vehicle. Security camera footage allegedly also shows the accused college student fleeing the Tesla dealership after the attack.
Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said in the press release that agency’s Special Agents and forensic experts analysed the key evidence recovered from the scene of the Tesla arson attack. “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”
As the ATF, FBI and Kansas City police’s joint investigation of the incident continues, FBI Director Kash Patel remarked that the federal agency will “not stand for these destructive acts.”
“These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”
In a previous statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi declared the arson attacks as “nothing short of domestic terrorism.” Her recent comments in the aftermath of Owen McIntire being charged warned that firebombing a Tesla property will result in the perpetrator spending “decades behind bars.”