GettyFive explosive devices which may be linked to the New York bombings that injured 29 people were found in a backpack at a train station in New Jersey.
One of the suspicious devices exploded as a bomb squad was attempting to disarm it with a robot.
Local Mayor Christian Bollwage claims that the FBI robot accidentally cut the wrong wire on a device which was found in the trash by two men around 8.30pm last night, near the Elizabeth train station on the Northeast Corridor rail line, The Independent reports.
FBI Bomb Squad is on scene and continuing the investigation at the train station in Midtown Elizabeth. pic.twitter.com/qvmzsgisjC
— Chris Bollwage (@MayorBollwage) September 19, 2016
“I can imagine that if all five of them went off at the same time, that the loss of life could have been enormous if there was an event going on,” Bollwage said.
There were no injuries or damage caused by the devices, but Bollwage warned that other explosions could be expected.
Meanwhile, five people were arrested in Brooklyn during a traffic stop last night in connection with Saturday’s explosion and were believed to be heading to the airport with guns in their car.
We did a traffic stop of a vehicle of interest in the investigation. No one has been charged with any crime. The investigation is continuing
— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) September 19, 2016
They were then taken into FBI custody and according to the Associated Press are currently being questioned in the organisation’s building in Lower Manhattan.
ABC News reports that investigators are exploring the possibility that the two explosions in New York and New Jersey are linked to the same bomber or bombers by what appear to be similar types of cell phones.
More details emerged about the New York bombing overnight, with several U.S. media sites claiming that the explosives were described as being pressure cookers filled with shrapnel, the same method used in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
GettyBut other news agencies are reporting that both devices had flip phones and Christmas lights as makeshift detonators.
Authorities are also still looking into an alleged manifesto which was posted on Tumblr claiming responsibility for the bomb which exploded in New York.
GettyThe post titled ‘I Am The NY Bomber’ has since been taken down by the blogging site, with police sources telling The New York Daily News that they are taking the threats seriously.
The post reads:
The explosives detonated in New York City, that was me. Those were just some tests, I know where I have made errors and I will not make the same mistake next time. I did it because I cannot stand society. I cannot live in a world where homosexuals like myself as well as the rest of the LGBTQ+ community are looked down upon by society I don’t know exactly how I feel about taking human lives. I suppose I’m just going to have to move forward knowing that what I am doing had a purpose and will in fact make a difference.
GettyThe investigation continues.
