He also said no surrounding structures suffered any apparent damage.
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The FBI has taken over as the lead agency in the investigation. A 1-mile Semper Five “fun run” had been scheduled to start at 9 a.m., and the 5K race had been scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m.
“We have some promising leads but no suspects at this time, so we’re continuing to work with authorities to make sure that we bring whoever’s responsible for this to justice as quickly as possible”, he said on CNN.
Whitaker declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
Runners were expected to be near the Seaside Park area at the time the blast occurred but the 5k race had been delayed due to an unattended backpack, officials told CBS NY.
A small bomb that exploded along the route of a road race in New Jersey on Saturday morning contained multiple devices that failed to go off, authorities have said. Some homes near the scene were evacuated as a precaution, and the public was being urged to avoid the area.
Residents in the area said it was uncomforting that an incident like this could happen so close to home.
It was initially reported as a pipe bomb that went off in a garbage can at D Street and North Ocean Avenue.
Just after the explosion, Della Fave said, police locked down the area near the garbage can and deployed bomb detection dogs. At least one other device was found, the statement said.
Meanwhile at an NYPD firing range in the Bronx, investigators were planning on Sunday evening to conduct a controlled detonation of the second, unexploded NY device – which appeared to be a rigged pressure-cooker explosive. “The fortunate thing here in New Jersey is that no one was injured”.
“I must tell you that just before I got off the plane, a bomb went off in NY and nobody knows exactly what’s going on”, Trump said.
Local law enforcement are now working with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Department of Homeland Security to ensure that the area near this incident is safe, evidence is collected, and any possible suspects are apprehended.
The explosion occurred around 9:30 a.m.as spectators and runners were about to line up for the start of the race, according to New Jersey 101.5. “Is it domestic source, a foreign source…we just don’t know that at this time, but it was done intentionally to try and terrorize the people of New Jersey”, Christie told host Chris Wallace. “We will not rest until we find the person or persons responsible”, he said.
Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-Toms River, described the Seaside Park community as military centered, with lots of veterans and active duty military personnel.
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He said those in the area have been through a lot, with Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and its aftermath, and now the bomb blast.
