Four Chinese students from Mainland China, including three males and one female, studying or recent graduates from the University of Western Ontario, face 19 new charges in an explosives and firearms manufacturing investigation in London, Ontario, according to court documents submitted on Tuesday, August 11.
In January of this year, Jerry Tong, Alex Zekun Wang, Frank Fei Han, and Astrid Feiyang Ji were charged. Three of them are engineering students.
CBC reports that the revised list of charges submitted to the Ontario court brings the total number of charges to 31. Some of the charges are joint accusations against all four individuals, while others are specific to certain defendants.
The new charges include possession of five specific explosives, possession of stolen property, and obtaining computer data related to firearms manufacturing.
The court documents reveal that the four individuals face a range of new charges relating to possession of explosives. The names of these explosives were disclosed for the first time.
They are accused of possessing Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrophenol (DNP), Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), and lead azide.
Additionally, they face a new charge of possessing University of Western Ontario property valued at less than $5000.
Zekun Wang faces a separate charge of accessing computer data related to firearms or prohibited devices, specifically accessing design files that can be used in 3D printing machines, metal milling machines, or similar computer systems to manufacture devices.
Upon their initial arrest, the four faced multiple firearms charges, including manufacturing firearms and possessing loaded restricted firearms.
New charges against Tong, Zekun Wang, and Ji include possession of magazines and silencers, as well as possession of another prohibited firearm. Tong and Zekun Wang are also charged with possession and not taking proper care of a rifle.
Tong, facing most of the charges, has additional accusations related to incidents in other cities. He is alleged to have concealed a rifle in a residence in Orleans, manufactured prohibited firearms in Ottawa, and possessed a rifle at an unauthorized location in Quebec.
The court documents indicate that although Tong had a firearms license, his charges involve possessing firearms at locations not specified on the license.
Tong and Zekun Wang also face new charges for breaking into a building on October 9, 2025. Zekun Wang is further charged with manufacturing weapons between September 1, 2025, and January 24, 2026.
The lengthy investigation dates back to January 24 when police received a report of two men illegally entering a university’s engineering building (Spencer Engineering Building) at night. Campus security apprehended one man and called for assistance.
Subsequently, the investigation led to the residence at Chesham Place 212 near the university, where Wang, Han, and Ji were residing, and they were arrested there. Police later searched residences in Orleans, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec.
Inside the implicated residences, authorities discovered a substantial amount of precursor chemicals for explosives, completed high explosives, multiple firearms, and evidence suggestive of weapon manufacturing.
The incident caused a stir on campus and in society at the time, prompting the intervention of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (primarily handling terrorism and other national security threats).
Each defendant is facing a total number of charges:
The four individuals are still undergoing court proceedings, with two out on bail and two remaining in detention.
Jerry Tong did not apply for bail and is currently in custody. Han was denied bail in February and remains in custody awaiting trial.
Zekun Wang was granted bail in March under strict conditions, including 24-hour home confinement and continuous supervision by two guarantors who each posted a $200,000 bond. Ji has also been granted bail but without any guarantors.