What actually set off the bomb?

At 11:45:27 in the cafeteria tape, Dylan can be seen approaching the table Eric is standing next to which has the bag on top of it that Eric was carrying down there. Dylan can then be seen
reaching into that bag.

This bag was found in evidence in the Cafeteria to contain a pipe bomb, so I presume Dylan grabbed another pipe bomb that was in that bag which he is observed throwing
at the one of the cafeteria bombs at about 11:45:40. However, from the angles of the tapes there is never any observed explosion from this pipe bomb and it may have been a dud.

However, you can see at two different angles at 11:45:45 (upper right) and 11:45:55 (lower left corner), Eric shoots his carbine once again at the bombs from a different location than the stairs. (5 shell casings from his carbine were recovered in this location next to the table - same with the bag of pipe bombs).

The bomb ignites at 11:46:10, seemingly originating from a small spark that grows into a huge flame.

I'm curious what is actually happening here. From what I remember, it was just a single gasoline container that actually ignited. I always assumed it was whatever Dylan threw at the bomb caused it to ignite but now I'm curious if one of Eric's shots pierced the container causing gasoline to leak everywhere and possibly a spark from another bullet caused it to set fire?

I'm working on a video about this as a change of pace, so guess we're on a similar wavelength, considering your other post, too

I believe that the Coleman fuel tank in the duffel bag was almost certainly shot by Eric at the stairs. This would've been audible, and it explains why both immediately approach the bomb after the final shot. The fuel leaked out and filled the cafeteria with vapor, explaining why flames reached about 40 feet away (this being the flame front of the fuel).

My best guess is that the bomb Dylan threw was a super cricket with a 30 second fuse, considering it was dark, opaque, and about the size of a hand from the CCTV footage. The only real evidence I've seen of a bomb in that area was evidence number 4428, which is a cricket fragment, as well as other metal fragments described as cricket fragments in that area of the cafeteria from the Team 3 photos. This explains the delayed ignition and the moving bomb, since the rocket engine would've caused the cricket to move somewhat. This caught the vapor on fire and then exploded (crickets tended to explode in a flash, whereas most of the pipe bombs shot firework stars everywhere), though not necessarily in that order.

Sarin Gas Attack wrote:

I'm working on a video about this as a change of pace, so guess we're on a similar wavelength, considering your other post, too

I believe that the Coleman fuel tank in the duffel bag was almost certainly shot by Eric at the stairs. This would've been audible, and it explains why both immediately approach the bomb after the final shot. The fuel leaked out and filled the cafeteria with vapor, explaining why flames reached about 40 feet away (this being the flame front of the fuel).

My best guess is that the bomb Dylan threw was a super cricket with a 30 second fuse, considering it was dark, opaque, and about the size of a hand from the CCTV footage. The only real evidence I've seen of a bomb in that area was evidence number 4428, which is a cricket fragment, as well as other metal fragments described as cricket fragments in that area of the cafeteria from the Team 3 photos. This explains the delayed ignition and the moving bomb, since the rocket engine would've caused the cricket to move somewhat. This caught the vapor on fire and then exploded (crickets tended to explode in a flash, whereas most of the pipe bombs shot firework stars everywhere), though not necessarily in that order.

Ah that makes sense. So I suppose Dylan walked over to the bomb to confirm to Eric that he could smell the vapor of gasoline, and once he did he went ahead and threw the super cricket. I had no idea they used fuses of such a large time delay but that explains the delayed explosion. Could you elaborate on what you said about the "moving bomb"? Do you mean that their super crickets would propel themselves from ignition of a rocket engine? After a quick re-watch I think I can indeed see the cricket propelling itself across the vapor as it ignites.

P.S. great job on the video of the 911 calls! First legitimate breakthrough in this case in a long while

I thought it was a Molotov Cocktail that Dylan threw at the bomb? (A glass container containing flammable fluid, fuse is lit and ignites upon breaking)

Adzybear wrote:

I thought it was a Molotov Cocktail that Dylan threw at the bomb? (A glass container containing flammable fluid, fuse is lit and ignites upon breaking)

That's what is most commonly reported, but the device in the CCTV is inconsistent with a molotov, as it doesn't break on impact and it doesn't catch the area around it on fire first after igniting; the first ignition happened around table AAA, and the fire started more towards tables PP and BBB, which is where the duffel bag was located.

We can't see if said "item" breaks on impact or not though. You see Dylan throw something, then immediately the camera angle changes.

Adzybear wrote:

We can't see if said "item" breaks on impact or not though. You see Dylan throw something, then immediately the camera angle changes.

True, but we can see that nothing visible changes between the two camera cycles. Also, even if it had broken behind a table or something, there were no pieces of glass jar recorded in evidence found in the cafeteria. This leads me to believe that it's not a molotov, either the traditional design or the design they used.

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Sarin Gas Attack wrote:

Adzybear wrote:

We can't see if said "item" breaks on impact or not though. You see Dylan throw something, then immediately the camera angle changes.

True, but we can see that nothing visible changes between the two camera cycles. Also, even if it had broken behind a table or something, there were no pieces of glass jar recorded in evidence found in the cafeteria. This leads me to believe that it's not a molotov, either the traditional design or the design they used.

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the way it exploded also serves a key point as to what it was. if it was a molotov we would have seen a wider fireball, coming from the explosion of the liquid instead of a plume that would only have come from vapor leaking upwards.

I always thought it was after dylan chucked it in the cafeteria but now that I think about it that simply just isn't right.