Three southwest Iowa teens were arrested last night on charges they set off several homemade bombs in their neighborhood. Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says police responded to a report of “shots fired” shortly after 9 o’clock.

“The officers arriving heard something sounding like shots also when they pulled up,” Chief Green says. “Some kids were on a second story of an apartment looking out the window. They were throwing pop bottle bombs out the window of the second story and letting them blow up.”

Back in the early 1990s, Green says area kids were blowing up mailboxes with bottle bombs made from common household chemicals. He says the charges filed in this case are intended to demonstrate that type of activity won’t be tolerated.

“It’s a serious offense that’s taken seriously by law enforcement,” Green says. “We’re not going to mess around with people making homemade explosive devices.”

Charged are: 19-year-old Daylan Kleen, 17-year-old Bryce Gehling and 17-year-old Jeremy Stone, all of Atlantic. All three were charged with reckless use of fire or explosive device, unauthorized possession of weapons/homemade explosive, and using explosives with the intent to commit a public offense.

Kleen was booked into the Cass County Jail, while Gehling and Stone were released to the custody of their parents, pending an appearance in juvenile court. Two unexploded bottle bombs were found in the yard.

The Iowa State Patrol responded and disabled the devices by firing rubber bullets at them to relieve the pressure inside the bottles.

By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic