In an unsettling incident just outside Detroit, a suburban couple is facing serious charges after allegedly launching an explosive with a menacing message into their neighbor’s yard, local authorities revealed.
Jason Showers, aged 45, along with his 38-year-old wife, Megan Showers, of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, are each facing potentially lengthy prison sentences if found guilty of the allegations stemming from Monday’s alarming occurrence, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutors allege that it was Megan Showers who ignited the red, cylindrical explosive device, ominously inscribed with “BYE BYE,” before it was hurled by Jason Showers into the yard of their 72-year-old neighbor.
Fortunately, the neighbor managed to successfully extinguish the device, averting what could have been a dangerous situation, authorities stated.
A booking photo has been released showing Jason Showers, 45, who could face life in prison if he and his wife are convicted of the charges related to the explosive device incident in their neighbor’s yard. (Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office)
Law enforcement officials later searched the Showers’ home, finding “firearms, ammunition, and materials for assembling explosive devices,” according to prosecutors.
“The allegations in this case are serious and especially troubling because they involve a senior member of our community. My office is committed to protecting public safety and prosecuting cases where individuals are accused of endangering others,” Macomb County prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement.
Jason and Megan Showers are charged with placing explosives near property and possessing bombs with unlawful intent, both felonies that each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The booking photo for Megan Showers, 38, the wife of Jason Showers. Prosecutors said she lit the explosive before her husband tossed it into their 72-year-old neighbor’s yard. (Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office)
Jason Showers also faces charges of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition, each punishable by up to five years in prison.
On top of that, prosecutors charged him with two counts of felony firearm possession, with each count carrying a mandatory two-year sentence that must be served consecutively to the underlying felony if he is convicted.
Since Jason Showers is a habitual offender with at least four prior felony convictions, the judge will be able to impose a life sentence if he is convicted of any one of the four top charges, prosecutors said.
A view of St. Clair Shores, the Detroit suburb where Jason and Megan Showers live. (WJBK)
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The couple made their first appearance in court on Wednesday, public records show. Their first probable cause hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14.
The judge granted Jason Showers a $100,000 cash-only bond. However, records show that he is still behind bars at the Macomb County Jail.
If he posts bond, he would have to wear a steel cuff GPS tether, the judge ordered. He would also be prohibited from returning to his home or having any contact with his wife or the neighbor.
Megan Showers’ bond was set at $20,000, but the judge gave her the ability to pay 10% through a bail bondsman, prosecutors said.
The judge said she could return to her marital home, but she cannot have contact with her husband or the neighbor.