Ex-Arkansas university student accused of building explosives found fit to stand trial

Timothy Constantin
Timothy Constantin

A former student at an Arkansas university arrested on an explosives charges has been found fit to stand trial, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

A judge suspended proceedings in January after ordering Timothy Bernice Constantin, 20, of Gainesville, Fla., to undergo a mental evaluation. At a hearing Monday, it was determined Constantin is fit to stand trial.

Police received a call Nov. 14 about a suicidal person at John Brown University who had made comments about committing a mass shooting or bombing, according to a news release from the Siloam Springs Police Department. Siloam Springs police and John Brown University Campus Safety officers spoke with Constantin in his dorm room, where they found multiple firearms.

Witnesses said Constantin had been constructing explosive devices and igniting them at an off-campus location. Constantin later admitted to building explosive devices, but no material for explosives was found during the search of his room, according to court documents.

Constantin said he never intended to use the firearms for malicious purposes, according to the probable cause affidavit. He said if he wanted to commit a mass killing, he would use explosive devices because they are easy to conceal, easy to synchronize, and inflict mass chaos and mass damage, the affidavit states.

Constantin is free on a $75,000 bond.

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