On Saturday night, New York City shook from the force of an explosion. Both Chelsea in New York and Jersey Shore in New Jersey were victim to pipe bombs. So far nobody has come forward to claim responsibility of these attacks. But the bomb in New Jersey was detonated shortly before a Marine charity 5 kilometer run “Semper Five” was supposed to take place. The pipe bomb was placed in a plastic garbage bin on the boardwalk near the path of the race. There were no reported injuries due to the blast.
Officials immediately evacuated a 4 block radius and had bomb squad on the scene. Officials have found other wired devices in the plastic bin that did not detonate. The FBI are also investigating the incident. They have not ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack but there is also little evidence suggesting it was linked to a larger organization.
The incident in New York City is equally as puzzling but unfortunately far more destructive. The pipe bomb was placed in a metal dumpster. The resulting explosion sent shrapnel to an unsuspecting crowd. There are a reported 29 people injured with none dead. There are many similarities between the two incidents but officials are currently acting under the assumption that the two are unrelated events until more information can be found out. Aside from the multiple injuries, a city official has stated that there is “significant property damage,” caused by the explosion. Residents that live on the block are still unable to return to their homes while bomb squad and the K9 unit are still searching for evidence.
CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes said, “It tells me that it was a rather large explosive device that someone built and someone detonated and caused the injury of dozens of people. … It shows me it’s a deliberate act and indicates an act of terrorism,” he said. “Whether it’s domestic terrorism or international, we don’t know, but it certainly would have an appearance that somebody made an attempt to kill people, on purpose.”
Other experts say it is too early to label this incident as a terrorist attack. Since nobody has come forward to claim responsibility for either incidents a motive is still missing. Additionally, another suspicious device has been discovered near the Chelsea blast site. A pressure cooker with multiple foreign wiring has been discovered a few blocks away. Bomb squad has already ruled the device inactive but there is no word on whether the device is related to the explosion.
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