‘He thought it would be fun:’ Henderson police link twins to church attacks
One of two 18-year-old twin brothers accused in a commercial firework attack during a Henderson church group gathering told investigators that he did so because “he thought it would be fun,” according to his arrest report.
The March 27 explosion in the gym of the Arrowhead Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints left four people with minor injuries, police said.
Caden Renard and his brother, Connor, remained booked at the Henderson Detention Center Tuesday with bail for both set at nearly $1 million, jail records show.
The Basic High School students, who were taken into custody on campus, were linked to two similar incidents at the church in the 800 block of Arrowhead Trail, police said.
The brothers were arraigned this week on 18 charges, including felonies, Henderson Justice Court records show.
“At this time, these events do not to appear to be racially/ethnically motivated or a religious hate crime,” police wrote when they announced the arrests.
The attack on March 27 caused the church to cancel gatherings “out of fear for safety,” police said.
About a month earlier, on Feb. 24, someone lobbed a “manipulated” firework into the church’s lobby, injuring one person, police said.
Then on March 4, three people entered the church, shut off power and threw a bottle rocket in the hallway, police said.
The incidents prompted a response from the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, a task force that comprises local and federal agencies, such as the FBI, police said.
Investigators used witnesses and surveillance footage to identify the brothers, said police, noting that there were two other unidentified suspects.
Caden Renard initially denied involvement but later admitted to the attacks, police said. It wasn’t clear if investigators spoke to his brother, or what he might’ve told them.
When questioned about his motivation, Caden Renard told police that he thought it would be fun.
“Caden agreed that most people would feel fearful, frightened and scared having a flaming mortar explode nearby them,” police wrote in his arrest report. “Caden also agreed that people should be able to assemble at their desired house of worship and not be afraid of being hurt.”
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
