Driver shatters drive-thru with bomb thrown at biker club members, Florida cops say
An armed man created havoc at a sandwich shop when he tossed an explosive from his car at members of a motorcycle club, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.
The bomb shattered windows at a Jimmy John’s drive-thru, injuring one of the restaurant’s employees, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 16 news release.
It happened Saturday, Feb. 15, near Fort Walton Beach, and the bikers were at a nearby motorcycle shop when a driver began “menacing” them, officials say.
“Members of a motorcycle club say (a man) had driven up to them ... and pointed a weapon at them. They said he was wearing an Outlaw Motorcycle Club jacket and while driving away, tossed an item out of his window, which exploded,” the sheriff’s office said.
“While deputies were responding to the report of the armed disturbance, employees of the Jimmy John’s restaurant ... flagged them down to report some type (of) explosion took place near their drive-thru, breaking glass and causing minor cuts to the back of one employee.”
Witnesses led deputies to a suspect, Gregory Simonds of Pensacola, who was caught about 7 miles northeast during a traffic stop, officials said.
“They could see a black firearm on the front passenger seat and a portion of what appeared to be an explosive device,” the sheriff’s office said.
Simonds, 41, was arrested and charged with:
- Throwing a destructive device causing bodily harm or physical damage
- Display of a firearm during commission of a felony
- Felony criminal mischief
- Improper exhibit of a firearm
“Members of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives responded to clear the vehicle and found four ‘M-type’ explosive devices consisting of thick cardboard tubes containing an explosive power with a pyrotechnic fuse at one end,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Two firearms were also recovered from the car.”
Fort Walton Beach is about a 40-mile drive east from Pensacola.
This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Driver shatters drive-thru with bomb thrown at biker club members, Florida cops say."