CURRITUCK COUNTY -- Police have identified the man who drove his burning truck into a Moyock law firm on Friday.
Alan Boyd Lanier, 56, of Amelia Court House, Va., drove a pickup into the Twiford's Law Firm on Currituck Commercial Drive around 5:30 p.m., said Sheriff Susan Johnson in a release Monday.
Investigators discovered several propane tanks, 30 gallons of gas in the bed of the truck and ten gallons inside the cab.
According to Johnson, Lanier also manufactured an explosive device that did not detonate.
A witness said they saw Lanier light several bails of hay on fire in the back of a truck. The witness called firefighters and then as the witness approached, Lanier rammed the truck into the law firm.
The building quickly caught fire. Officials say the man never was able to get out of the vehicle and died in the fire.
Nobody else was in the building at the time of the incident.
The Twiford Law firm has relocated its staff to an Elizabeth City office and they haven't commented about a possible reason Lanier targeted their building, three hours from his home in Amelia Court House.
The bomb squad and arson agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations helped with the initial response. The Currituck County Sheriff's Office is now handling the investigation.
The Twiford Law Firm released the following statement on their Facebook page:
The Twiford Law Firm's Moyock office has burned. The firm sincerely appreciates the exceptional response and efforts of the Currituck Sheriff's Department, various fire departments, EMS teams and other support personnel. Currituck County is indeed fortunate to have such well trained professionals available to respond and support its businesses and citizens. Thank you!
