FBI: Georgetown Student Made Ricin in Dorm Room

A 19-year-old Georgetown student whipped up a lethal batch of ricin in his dorm room, authorities say, but it sounds like he did so more as a lark than as a terror threat. Daniel Harry Milzman faces federal charges of possessing a biological toxin after the stunt, reports CNN. Nobody was injured, but that might have been dumb luck—Milzman stored the stuff in plastic bags sealed with hockey tape, the Washington Post reports. He eventually showed it off to his dorm adviser, who alerted authorities.

The FBI affidavit says Milzman used his iPhone to learn how to make the ricin, reports USA Today. He then picked up the necessary ingredients from stores including Home Depot and American Plant Co., the latter presumably for castor beans. The Post talks to friends who describe Milzman as a nice, smart kid, in fact a semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship in high school. "We do not believe there is any connection to terrorism," says an FBI spokesperson. Milzman's first court hearing is next week. (Click to read about a Philadelphia teen accused of sending ricin to a romantic rival.)