FBI Recognizes Park Ranger Who Thwarted 2017 Hermann Park Bombing

From The FBI Field Office Houston

HOUSTON, TX — The FBI recognized Houston Park Ranger Tamara Curtis during an award ceremony Monday for her heroic actions against a potential bomber in Hermann Park in August 2017. The award acknowledges Curtis’ bravery, quick action, and her efforts to protect the Houston community.

On the evening of Aug. 19, 2017, Curtis saw a man, who police later identified as Andrew Schneck, kneeling among the bushes in front of the General Richard Dowling Monument in Hermann Park.

Curtis told police she saw Schneck holding two small boxes with various items inside to include duct tape and wires, so she told him to place the boxes on the ground.

Curtis said Schneck put the boxes on the ground, and then took a drink of clear liquid from a plastic bottle, spit it out and poured the remainder on the ground.

Curtis noticed a timer and wires in the box and immediately called the Houston Police Department.

“In a time of increasing threats and decreasing resources, it is incumbent upon law enforcement to partner with our fellow agencies in order to mitigate threats and protect our community,” said FBI Houston Special Agent-in-Charge Perrye K. Turner. “Park Ranger Curtis’ actions on the night of Aug. 19, 2017, showed her bravery and her commitment to keeping the Houston community safe.”

The HPD Bomb Squad tested the clear liquid and a white powdery substance found in a small black aluminum tube which revealed they were nitroglycerin and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), respectively.

HMTD is a highly explosive compound. Nitroglycerin is used as an active ingredient in the manufacture of explosives.

The FBI Explosive Unit Laboratory examined the items that Schneck had and determined they could be made into a fully functioning improvised explosive device.

An FBI investigation revealed that Schneck researched and tested multiple chemical explosives inside a makeshift laboratory within his West University home and that he was able to build an explosive device, which he brought to Hermann Park with the intent to destroy a statue of historical Texas figure Richard Dowling.

“Park Ranger Curtis took extraordinary actions. She not only prevented the destruction of a statue in Hermann Park, but also protected the West University neighborhood from a lethal and fully-functioning explosive device,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Deron Ogletree. “These types of threats are real and challenging to investigate. Park Ranger Curtis did exactly what first responders are supposed to do— she recognized a threat, identified the perpetrator, and accelerated the law enforcement investigation to its successful conclusion. Without her actions, this would have been a difficult case to solve.”

Schneck pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year to willfully attempting to maliciously damage or destroy property in violation of federal law. In August 2018, he received a 78-month sentence, a $10,000 fine, and three years of supervised release after his incarceration.

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Image: FBI

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