No one has been arrested in connection with the 9:30 a.m. explosion that involved at least one pipe bomb in a trash can, according to Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.
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The race was cancelled after the device exploded.
Multiple agencies are investigating the incident and whether the motive was terror, he said.
According to a course map for the race posted online, runners would have passed near the intersection twice: once 1.12 kilometres into the race and again 1.12 kilometres from the finish.
“Whether criminal or terroristic, it was obvious it was meant to affect the run”, Della Fave said. The race organizers said the run was cancelled because an unattended backpack was found in the area. “We are out there securing evidence and we are making sure that there is no stone left unturned”, Brad Cohen, acting special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Newark, said at a news conference.
Three pipe-bomb-type devices wired together were found near the boardwalk in Seaside Park. The run’s name is a reference to Semper Fidelis, Latin for “always loyal”, the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps. Police K-9s are checking other garbage cans for potential explosives, the sheriff said.
No injuries were reported in the blast in Seaside Park around 9:45 a.m. Saturday. “We will not rest until we find the person or persons responsible”, he said.
“Initial reports of a second device found in another trash can have been refuted”, New Jersey State Police said in their statement.
A four-block perimeter around the site was quickly evacuated, and residents were ordered to stay indoors as authorities swept the area for any more devices.
Howath said that it was a “blessing in disguise” that the race was postponed.
Ocean County law enforcement asked that everyone avoid the area while the search continues.
The explosion occurred when the race was supposed to be underway, but the start had been delayed by problems with the pre-registration process, Della Fave said.
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Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-Toms River, described the Seaside Park community as military centered, with lots of veterans and active duty military personnel.
