Michael Whitaker, spokesman for the FBI’s Newark office, which is leading the Seaside Park investigation, said FBI personnel and other authorities continue to collect evidence and conduct interviews in the wake of the pipe bomb incident, which happened at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
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Prosecutors said the fact that the charity race was delayed could have prevented large numbers of runners being in the area at the time.
“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. Some stopped to take pictures of the site where the blast occurred and of television trucks that remained in the area. There were no reported injuries from the initial blast.
Authorities said the lag in the start of the race, reportedly because of late registrations, meant the bomb went off before runners were on the race course.
The shootout came after a weekend of fear and anxiety in NY and New Jersey that had people on edge.
All beaches have reopened in Seaside Park, New Jersey.
A heavily-armed Seaside Park police officer patrols the area near D Street, where a bomb exploded Saturday morning.
After the explosion was traced to a nearby trash can, the race was cancelled, and the immediate area was put on lockdown.
Law enforcement authorities said they did not know the motive for the blast.
The Seaside Park explosion took place prior to the start of the race Saturday. It was located in a garbage can, and no one was injured. 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. “The race had not started yet down at the Jersey Shore”, Christie said. He said those in the area have been through a lot, with Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath, and now the bomb blast.
Investigators said they found similarities between this device and the bomb that exploded in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood Saturday evening. MacArthur said that person needs to be “tracked down and brought to justice”.
“The fortunate thing here in New Jersey is that no one was injured”, the Republican said on CNN’s “Inside Politics” with Jake Tapper. A second device, what appeared to be a pressure cooker with wiring and a cellphone, was found several blocks away.
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A statement issued by Ocean County Police, Fire and EMS said: “An explosive device discharged within a garbage pail at approximately 9:35 am”.
