Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing

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Harvey's Resort Hotel bombing
Harvey's Resort Hotel in 1978
Harvey's Resort Hotel in 1978
Location Stateline, Nevada
Date August 26, 1980
Target Harvey's Resort Hotel
Attack type bombing
Death(s) 0
Injured 0
Belligerent(s) John Birges

On August 26, 1980, three men planted a bomb containing 1,000 pounds (500 kg) of dynamite at Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada. The mastermind behind the bomb, millionaire John Birges, was attempting to extort $3 million from the casino, allegedly the same amount he had lost gambling there.

The bomb was cleverly built and virtually tamper-proof. After studying the bomb through x-rays, bomb technicians decided that the best hope of disarming it was by separating the detonators from the dynamite. They thought they could do this using a shaped charge of C-4. The attempt to disarm the bomb failed and it exploded, destroying much of the casino, although no one was injured. Harrah's Casino (which was connected to Harvey's Casino via a tunnel) was also damaged by the explosion, which broke many of the windows in Harrah's.

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