The blast occurred about 9:35 a.m. near the boardwalk in Seaside Park, along the route of the Seaside Semper Five Marine Corps Charity 5K, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. But the start of the race had been delayed after an unattended backpack was found, and the area was mostly empty when the blast occurred.
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“A typical explosive device – to generate maximum injuries – they will often place them within an additional container like a trash can, so when it does go off, the trash can, itself, will become part of the explosive, and send shrapnel flying”, said Della Fave. Initial reports of a second device found in another trash can have been refuted.
“We are grateful that nobody was injured, but this is a serious act of violence against the people of New Jersey. Traffic into Seaside Park is closed, but (motorists) are allowed to go to Seaside Heights”.
Francis Larkin, left, chief of the Seaside Park Police Department joins Brad Cohen, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s field office in Newark, N.J., at a news conference in front of the Seaside Park Police Depar.
At this time, the 3rd Annual Marine Semper Fi 5K Race has been canceled as authorities continue to secure the scene and prevent loss of life. “They are terrorism. Now, who is responsible is something else and what the motive was is something else that hopefully we are going to find out in the days ahead”.
According to the Fire Department of NY, a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in a dumpster on W 23 Street in the area of 6 and 7 avenues in Manhattan around 8:30 p.m.
Residents in the area said it was uncomforting that an incident like this could happen so close to home.
Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Spokesman Al Della Fave spoke to Micromedia’s Daniel Nee, who also runs ShoreBeat.
Runner Adam Carswell of Toms River, New Jersey, told NBC New York that he saw smoke emitting from a garbage can after the blast.
The FBI has taken over the investigation and the seafood festival has since been canceled.
Local and state police along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ATF quickly flooded the quiet beach town of Seaside Park as bomb experts carefully removed and dissected what appeared to be three pipes intricately wrapped together inside a garbage can near D St. and Ocean Ave.
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There is a report of at least one other device which the NJSP will make safe.
