Homemade explosives, ammunition: New docs reveal details about Beaver Dam blast



MILWAUKEE -- Next month will be one year since the explosion that ripped through a Beaver Dam apartment building. On Thursday, Feb. 21 FOX6 News learned more about the person who investigators say caused the blast.

Benjamin Morrow accidentally blew himself up inside his apartment on March 5, 2018. Investigators discovered several firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, white supremacist materials, and explosive material used to make bombs.

New documents show Morrow was secretive about most aspects of his life but he wasn't shy about his interest in guns and chemicals.

Benjamin Morrow



An investigative narrative of the explosion at 109 Knaup Drive, reveals even those who saw Morrow daily barely knew anything about him.

Morrow had worked closely with five people during his time at a food label manufacturing plant, Richelieu Foods. His supervisor described the 28-year-old as "overly shy, very guarded and not forthcoming."

Investigators say Morrow had created a homemade explosives laboratory in his apartments. Authorities determined the scene was such a hazard, they evacuated the entire building and destroyed it in a controlled burn.



While Morrow's motive remains unknown, some of his coworkers told police they did observe concerning behavior.

According to those interviews, they say Morrow was always talking about different types of chemicals, he looked up guns and ammunition that could kill an elephant on work computers, and would play shooting games on them.

They said Morrow often smelled like moth balls, which his supervisor noted, contain an explosive material. He also had holes in his pants that appeared to have been the result of extreme heat or chemicals.

Beaver Dam apartment explosion



Just three weeks before the explosion, a coworker jokingly asked Morrow if he would do something similar to the Florida high school mass shooting. Another coworker says Morrow replied "don't worry, you'll be the first to get out of here."

The documents show Morrow also rented a storage unit at the end of February. On March 5, the same day as the explosion, the storage unit company received a handwritten note from Morrow saying he would be out of the unit by March 31.

Beaver Dam apartment explosion