Las Cruces Police are telling ABC-7 that they have confirmed two separate explosions at two different Las Cruces churches early this morning.
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Officials with the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s said the explosions happened as churchgoers were getting ready for Sunday mass at Calvary church and at Holy Cross church, according to KDBC media partners at Las Cruces Sun News.
‘I didn’t know if it was a shotgun blast, I didn’t know what.
Authorities are working to determine who planted the explosives and whether the blasts were related.
The explosion at Calvary Baptist reportedly went off in a mailbox near the church, while the explosion at Holy Cross took place in a nearby trashcan during morning mass.
The other explosion was in a trash bin at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Miranda Street.
“Just the fact that they were at churches the same day a half and hour apart or so, that leads us to believe it could be something related”, he said. All services at the two churches have been canceled. Trujillo said police have advised other churches in the area “to be on the lookout for anything suspicious”.
Llewellyn said there were about 30 people inside the building when the explosion occurred.
Several agencies including the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Mexico State Police are assisting with the investigation.
Holy Cross Catholic Church parishioners gather on the corner in Las…
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An investigation is ongoing, however, police still do not know what type of explosives were used.
