SOUTH JORDAN — Residents are being allowed back in late Friday after hundreds were evacuated due to "concerning material" in the South Jordan home of a man who allegedly threatened the owner of a Culver's restaurant this week.

Authorities said they weren't able to safely remove the material, so it had to be detonated. The detonations were done in two phases Friday evening, the first about 6 p.m. and the second after 9.

A total of 168 homes, 34 businesses and 600 residents in the area were evacuated. The evacuations were slated to last until 10 a.m. Saturday but were lifted after the detonations went off successfully, according to South Jordan public safety officials.

The home is located near 3400 West and 10400 South, South Jordan City officials said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

The man, identified as 42-year-old Ryan McManigal, was arrested about 11 p.m. Thursday, according to a jail report. He told police he had materials that could potentially make a bomb, and officials found a substance in his home in the area, according to South Jordan Police Lt. Matt Pennington.

City officials gave few details Friday about the materials found at McManigal's home. Mayor Dawn Ramsey referred to them only as "concerning material," and city spokeswoman Rachel Van Cleave said authorities won't identify what was found in the home due to the sensitivity of the situation. Later, city officials tweeted that they were explosive but not a biohazard.

“We want to make sure everything’s taken care of, investigated and safe,” Van Cleave said.

Authorities determined they couldn't safely remove the materials from the home, so they detonated them instead in order to get rid of them. Van Cleave said authorities did all they can to mitigate damage to the home and surrounding residences during the detonation.

Threats alleged before SWAT situation, shots fired

The situation began last Saturday, July 18, when South Jordan police received reports of threatening text messages and calls about a mass shooting sent to the owner of a Culver's restaurant at 3372 W. South Jordan Parkway, according to a jail report.

Police identified McManigal as the person who sent the threats, according to the report. He claimed that the Culver's was harassing him, and "harassment is the reason mass shootings occur," the jail report states.

McManigal also asked the business owner how he would feel if he went into the Culver's and "mowed down customers and staff," according to the report.

On July 19, police received more reports that two nearby residents saw McManigal carrying an AR-style rifle outside his house, the jail report states. Several gunshots were reported around the time the residents saw McManigal with the gun, according to the report.

Police determined that after the shots were reported, McManigal posted on Facebook saying that he had shot out a street light. Officers checked an area near 10365 S. River Heights Drive, which is directly west of McManigal's house, and found a broken street light.

Further investigation revealed that McManigal was served with two protective orders last year, one in April and the other in June. Both orders prevent him from owning an AR-style rifle or any other firearm, according to the jail report.

Police were concerned about McManigal's mental health and reached out to a crisis team to help negotiate with him to turn over his guns to law enforcement, according to Pennington. They were unsuccessful.

"We tried to come to some sort of peaceful solution during the week but he wasn't real cooperative at all," Pennington said.

Due to the reports of threats, the calls about fired shots, the damage to the streetlight and the parameters of the protective orders, investigators obtained a warrant to search McManigal's home.

They served the warrant on Thursday about 11 p.m. McManigal refused to leave the home, and a SWAT team and some armored vehicles arrived on scene, the jail report states.

While an armored SWAT vehicle from West Valley City was approaching the house, "it came under heavy fire and was hit with numerous bullets out the front door of the house," the jail report states. Several rifle bullets also hit a South Jordan SWAT vehicle on the west side of the house, according to the report.

A team of marksmen on the roof of a business southwest of the home also reported hearing several rifle rounds fly over their heads, the report states. Another team of marksmen on the north side of the house reported the same experience, the jail report said.

A short time later, McManigal surrendered, came out of the home and was taken into custody without any injuries. No law enforcement officers were injured during the situation. McManigal fired at least 15 bullets during the confrontation, the report states.

McManigal later admitted to police that he shot towards officers until his gun jammed, at which point he surrendered and came outside, according to the jail report. He told investigators he was shooting at police so they would not kill him, and he shot out the street light in an effort to send a message to police to leave him alone, the report states.

He also admitted to knowing about the protective orders and owning several other firearms, the report alleges.

McManigal was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail early Friday morning for investigation of 23 felonies and three misdemeanors, including aggravated assault targeting law enforcement officers, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and violating protective orders.

Evacuations lifted early

Ramsey said Friday afternoon she was grateful for the work of police officers from South Jordan and surrounding county agencies who responded to the scene Thursday night.

"We’re grateful that it ended with no harm being done to anyone,” she said.

She added that she herself did not know what materials were found in McManigal's home. Van Cleave said officials did not want the public to know what the substance is due to the sensitivity of the situation.

The evacuation area was roughly between 3200 West and Bangerter Highway on the east and west and between 10200 South and 10400 South from north to south, Van Cleave said. Residents were evacuated from those areas about 3 p.m. Friday and were being asked not to return until at least 10 a.m. Saturday, but the evacuations were lifted early because the detonations went "as well as (they) could have," South Jordan officials said.

City staff went door-to-door in the area asking people to voluntarily evacuate. A reverse 911 call also was sent out to phones of residents in the area in case they were not home at the time.

Ramsey said nearly all of the evacuees were happy to voluntarily remove themselves from the area and get to a safe place. People were being asked to seek shelter with friends or family, and no one in the evacuated area expressed a concern of not having somewhere to go, the mayor said. Those unable to evacuate from their homes were asked to shelter in their basement and stay away from windows, officials said.

A chiropractor in the shopping center was in the parking lot Friday morning and told KSL TV he was turning away clients until evacuations are lifted.

Explosive materials surprised officers

Pennington said Friday that officers knew they were likely to find weapons in McManigal's home when they served the warrant Thursday, but they didn't expect to find explosives.

The situation was still under investigation as of Friday afternoon, and detectives don't know what McManigal's intentions were with the materials found inside his home, Pennington said.

They also don't know if McManigal was working as a "lone wolf" or if he was collaborating with any others, Pennington added. Police don't yet have anyone else in custody in connection with the investigation, but they will be conducting some follow-up interviews and questioning some other people, he said.

McManigal lived at the home by himself, Pennington said.

Contributing: Tracie Snowder and Graham Dudley, KSL.com; Felicia Martinez, KSL TV

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