FBI Case File Review 386: Barry Black – Hazardous Devices, FBI Special Agent Bomb Tech
Feb 5, 2026
Barry Black, retired FBI agent-turned-master bomb technician, sniper, and author. He recounts two Oklahoma bombing cases: a 2005 stadium blast using peroxide-based explosives and an undercover sting that stopped a plan to build a 1,000-pound device. He also explains bomb-tech training, types of explosives, and how evidence and undercover work unraveled these plots.
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Centralized Bomb-Tech Training
- The FBI trains and certifies non-military bomb technicians nationwide at a single Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama.
- The school expanded from modest beginnings into a global training hub for law enforcement and partner nations.
Peroxide Explosives' Unique Danger
- Peroxide-based explosives (TATP/HMTD) emerged overseas and can be far more sensitive and powerful than traditional nitrate charges.
- Their sensitivity makes them especially dangerous for makers and first responders, earning nicknames like "mother of Satan."
Stadium Blast With Unusual Signature
- A bomb detonated outside a University of Oklahoma stadium in 2005 produced blast effects unlike typical U.S. IEDs.
- Local bomb techs identified it as a high explosive event and called the FBI for specialized help.
