New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill said, at the same press conference, “the exact nature and cause of this explosion has yet to be determined”.
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The city of NY is largely considered the top terror target in America and an explosion in the city’s Chelsea neighborhood Saturday evening immediately set off fears another attack. But a bomb exploding in NY is obviously an act of terrorism, but it’s not linked to global terrorism – in other words we find no ISIS connection, etc.
As a precaution, NY police department said it had increased security across some parts of the city.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said last night, “The initial indications is this was an intentional act”. Witnesses said people ran in all directions following the “incredibly loud” blast. It was discovered in time and safely removed.
Mr de Blasio said: “We do not see a link to terrorism”. “I’ll have more to say about it when we actually know some facts”.
In the video, caught by a surveillance camera, people are seen running for safety when a ball of fire lights up a sidewalk in 23rd Street on Sixth Avenue.
Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, sought to present a more cautious response, underscoring the difference between the two candidates’ styles.
It is particularly busy on Saturday nights.
Some reports, citing law enforcement sources, said it appeared to be a pressure cooker with wires attached, connected to what resembled a cellphone.
By Sunday morning, all 29 injured victims had been released from hospitals, the governor said.
The NYPD also removed a possible secondary device on 27th Street, four blocks away.
I’ve been briefed about the bombings in NY and New Jersey.
Early Sunday, police said an investigation into a third suspicious package turned up a bag of trash. The race was canceled and no one was injured. “Everyone just went quiet”.
A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in NY said investigators are examining the remnants of the device to determine how it was comprised, including whether it was real or fake.
Obama is scheduled to travel to NY today and stay in the city for the next several days to attend the United Nations General Assembly session beginning tomorrow.
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The first device, which exploded on West 23rd Street at about 8:30 p.m., appeared to have been caused by an improvised explosive device placed inside a toolbox in front of a building undergoing construction, the law enforcement official said.
