Daniel Aikens, Bombings, Louisiana 2023

ALEXANDRIA, LA – A Louisiana man with a penchant for homemade explosives is headed to federal prison after being convicted of orchestrating bombings in both Alexandria and Monroe. Daniel Aikens, 40, of Alexandria, was sentenced to 16 years behind bars on March 28, 2023, after a jury found him guilty of eight explosive-related charges. U.S. Senior District Judge Dee D. Drell handed down the sentence, concluding a case that spanned years and left victims scarred.

The first explosion ripped through Cloyd’s Beauty School in Monroe, Louisiana, on September 12, 2019. A victim was injured, suffering burns to his hands and face when a device detonated as he emptied a trash can. Investigators recovered remnants of the bomb, identifying a rocket motor purchased at a hobby store and a pressure cooker as key components. A grainy image from a Hobby Lobby security camera in West Monroe showed a black male purchasing the rocket motor just two days before the attack, but the trail went cold for months.

The violence didn’t stop there. On December 20, 2019, a blast rocked a Texaco gas station in Alexandria. Then, on January 2, 2020, Aikens escalated his campaign of terror, targeting Payday Today on MacArthur Drive in Alexandria. This time, it wasn’t just an explosion; it was a meticulously planned extortion attempt. Aikens called in the blast and then demanded $10,000, threatening to detonate a second device and harm the employee’s family if his demands weren’t met. He even knew the employee’s home address and the number of children she had, chillingly detailing how he was watching her.

The employee, understandably panicked, feigned compliance but managed to disconnect the call without paying. Investigators discovered metal pipe fragments at the scene, confirming the use of a pipe bomb. Crucially, surveillance footage from a nearby gas station – strategically positioned to observe Payday Today – captured a white Jeep Cherokee and a tall black male making a purchase shortly before the explosion. The man was even seen on his phone, appearing to survey the payday loan store. A BOLO alert went out, and four days later, the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office located the Jeep.

Federal prosecutors successfully argued that Aikens was responsible for both bombings, presenting evidence linking him to the purchases of bomb-making materials and the phone calls made during the Payday Today incident. Aikens was found guilty of 3 counts of Making a Destructive Device, 3 counts of Possession of a Destructive Device in violation of the National Firearms Act (NFA), 1 count of Use of an Explosive to Commit a Federal Felony, and 1 count of Conveying Malicious False Information. The ATF played a central role in the investigation, analyzing the bomb remnants and tracing the materials used in the devices.

U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana announced the sentencing, stating that Aikens’ actions were a clear and present danger to the community. While 16 years is a substantial sentence, it offers little comfort to the victims left grappling with the physical and emotional scars of Aikens’ calculated attacks. The case serves as a grim reminder of the ever-present threat posed by individuals intent on using explosives to inflict harm and instill fear.

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