On Monday, authorities located and defused a bomb left on an MLK parade route in Spokane, Washington, later stating that it was “likely capable of inflicting multiple casualties”. But an anonymous official suggests the device was capable of much worse.
Hours before the MLK Day parade was to start, three city workers spotted the suspicious backpack, discovered wiring inside, and alerted police. The parade was rerouted and the area surrounding the backpack was shut off as authorities defused the bomb with a robot and, later, a hazmat team. Yesterday, the FBI confirmed that it was a “potentially deadly destructive device” but declined to describe the bomb in any detail.
But one official, speaking anonymously to the AP, explained that the device had serious capacity for destruction:
They haven’t seen anything like this in this country…This was the worst device, and most intentional device, I’ve ever seen.
So that’s really terrifying. The FBI doesn’t have any suspects – they’re offering a $US20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest – and no one’s claimed responsibility for the device as of yet. Thank God we found it. [NPR]
Original image Kordite