He said no surrounding structures suffered any apparent damage, as well. Local officials, the ATF, and FBI investigated the situation. The run’s name, Seaside Semper Five 5K, is a reference to Semper Fidelis, Latin for “always loyal”, the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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The FBI was leading the investigation, CBS News has learned. Runners were expected to pass by that area of the boardwalk at the time of the explosion, but the start of the race was delayed when an unattended backpack was found, the AP reported.
Police rushed to the scene, immediately evacuating about 30 homes located around the epicenter of the blast. The beaches are along the same streets will also be closed until further notice, he said.
The timing of the explosion and where the device had been placed makes it appear “somebody has a beef with the military”, Della Fave said.
Asked if marines and their families had been targeted, Mr Della Fave said, “I think we can assume that, considering the location of the device right along the run route”.
Traffic across the Mathis Bridge was shut down around 12:30 p.m., but the bridge reopened about an hour later, although people are still restricted from the boardwalk area as state police decide how to handle the explosive devices in the trash can.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said there was no specific connection between the New Jersey blast and the explosion in Manhattan on Saturday evening that left 29 people injured.
“The one went off and the others did not”, he said.
A number of law-enforcement agencies responded to the scene Saturday, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be the lead investigators, an FBI spokesperson said.
“We are taking every step to ensure the safety of the public and to determine who was responsible for this explosion, which occurred at a time when runners in this charity race could have been in harms way”, Attorney General Christopher Porrino said.
“We were lucky”, the official said.
He described the community as military centered, with lots of veterans and active duty military personnel. Garbage cans were being checked and the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Arson Unit, FBI, ATF and NJ State Police Bomb Squad are assisting.
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Bomb experts will analyze the device and how it was made, according to CNN senior law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes. MacArthur said that person needs to be “tracked down and brought to justice”.
