Suspect wanted 'bigger boom:' Police records reveal details about Idaho train pipe bomb

Sally Krutzig, The Idaho Statesman on Jan 6, 2025

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Newly filed arrest documents from the police officer who discovered a pipe bomb on a train car platform in Payette last week revealed further information on a case that caused officials to halt train activity on New Year’s Day and launch an FBI investigation.

Payette Police Officer Cole MacDonnell wrote in his warrantless arrest probable cause statement that he was dispatched to an area just north of downtown Payette after someone reported seeing a man “trying to light fires under the train cars” before heading to a house on North 8th Street.

MacDonnell said he arrived just before 6 p.m. and noticed footprints in the snow, indicating someone had walked back and forth between a train car on the railroad tracks and a small camp trailer in the house’s yard.

While inspecting the train, the police officer said he saw what looked like burned paper on the platform connected to the outside of the train car.

“In the middle of the paper, I noticed what appeared to be an improvised explosive device made out of PVC,” MacDonnell said in court documents. “I left everything where it was at.”

The officer walked to the trailer, and noted that saw it rocking and heard noises indicating someone was inside.

“I knocked on the door and announced that I was the police,” MacDonnell said. “All the movement in the trailer stopped. I knocked one more time, but no one answered.”

MacDonnell then made contact with the owners of the house, who told him no one should be inside their trailer, according to the probable cause document.

The home’s owner went to unlock it, but found someone was holding the trailer door shut from the inside, according to MacDonnell. The officer said they demanded that whoever was inside should come out, at which point a man later identified as Brent Sharrai, 40, of Payette, jumped out and began running down a dirt road.

The officer wrote in his report that he recognized Sharrai from previous interactions with him.

“I chased Brent and he stopped running after about 50 yards,” MacDonnell said. “Brent turned around and put his hands up like he was going to try and fight. I pulled out my Taser and pointed it at Brent, telling him to get on the ground. He then put his hands up and stated he was not getting on the ground because it was wet, but he would turn around and put his hands behind his back.”

Police: Suspect detailed making of pipe bomb

MacDonnell was able to handcuff Sharrai and get him into the back seat of his police vehicle, according to court documents, and Sharrai told him that he put powder from some firecrackers into a plastic pipe to “make a bigger boom.”

“Brent stated he made it and was going to set it off for New Year’s but ended up falling asleep, so he was going to set it off tonight,” MacDonnell said. “He then repeated that there was powder from firecrackers and then he put a full firecracker in the end for the fuse. But it was too short, and he didn’t want to mess himself up.”

MacDonnell said detectives executed a search warrant inside the trailer and found 1.36 grams of methamphetamine and a “meth bong” in addition to other things.

Sharrai has been charged with felony possession of a destructive device, felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanors for drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest, according to court documents.

Law enforcement from additional agencies arrived at the scene to help handle the explosive, including the Nampa Police Department and one FBI agent.

“The Nampa Bomb Squad utilized their specialized robot to remove the IED from the train car and later detonated the device to render it safe,” the Payette Police Department said.

Police said they notified Union Pacific Railroad, which put all trains scheduled to travel through the site on standby for five hours.

Payette police said further federal charges of possession and manufacturing of a destructive device are pending while the FBI completes its investigation. FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker told the Idaho Statesman that she wasn’t able to comment on the possibility of federal charges.

Payette Police Chief Gary Marshall told the Statesman that the FBI got involved “based on the state of the nation” and recent acts of terrorism in other parts of the country. The chief said last week that law enforcement does not believe Sharrai was working with others or plotting an attack.

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