The UNAbombers Four - Part I

We here at Shoalanda have always been extremely proud of the University of North Alabama. One of our staff earned a Bachelor's degree from UNA, while two others also earned a Master's Degree from that venerable institution.

Recently, many UNA students have made the news, and not in a favorable way. This is no light matter, and it is surprising that any rational person would fail to be alarmed by these events.

Scott Trimble coaches cross-country running at UNA. Cross-country is a demanding sport, involving rugged terrain that may include areas of mud, water, and underbrush. Certainly this isn't a sport to which every runner is suited, but in 2008 Coach Trimble signed six new cross-country runners for the school. Now four of these signees have been arrested and expelled.

Over the weekend, these four athletes exploded a Drano bomb on Collier Avenue adjacent to a fraternity house, an area where many UNA staff also reside. Drano, a common household drain cleaner, contains lye and is extremely caustic. There are several videos on the Internet that provide detailed instructions for producing this explosive, some of them also depicting the injuries resulting from such explosions.

Now these four young men have not only been expelled from the university, but face the possibility of a felony conviction that can carry a sentence of up to ten years. These four student athletes have no criminal records and, up until this time, have led exemplary lives.

Aaron Bush, pictured at left, Is the son of Kevin Bush. The 19 year-old is a graduate of Wilsonville High School in Shelby County and was majoring in secondary education.

Pictured at right is William Daniel Dill of Muscle Shoals. Dill , the oldest at 22, is the son of Danny and Connie Dill. While at Muscle Shoals High School he lettered in track and was named a top freshman athlete. Dill later attended Northwest Shoals Community College before transferring to UNA where he too was majoring in secondary education. Besides the charge of possessing explosives, Dill is also charged with providing false information to the authorities.

Tomorrow: Part II (Bios courtesy of Scott Trimble/Photographs courtesy of Shannon Wills)