Times Square Explosion; No Injuries, "Improvised Device"

Photograph of damaged door by dhfdz on Flickr

Around 3:45 a.m., a device exploded outside the military recruiting center in Times Square. No one was injured, but a glass entryway was shattered.

The streets around Times Square were shut down (now traffic can pass through) and subway service passed through the Times Square station without stopping (it's back to normal now), as authorities investigated the scene. WNBC reports police were searching for a "suspect seen on a bicycle fleeing the scene after the blast" - a witness saw a man wearing a grey jacket with a hood "pulled tight with a drawstring" heading south.

According to WABC, police say the device was an improvised explosive, a "green ammunition can" with a low level of explosive. A hotel guest at the Marriott Marquis nearby said, "I was up on the 44th floor and I could feel it. It was a big bang," while another said, "It shook the building. I thought it could have been thunder, but I looked down and there was a massive plume of smoke so I knew it was an explosion."

Photograph of police investigating the explosion scene in Times Square by Mary Altaffer/AP

Captain Charlie Jaquillard, commander of recruiting in Manhattan, said, "If it is something that is directed toward American troops, then it's something that's taken very seriously and is pretty unfortunate," he said. The recruiting center, in the heart of Times Square at West 43rd Street and Broadway, has been the site of many protests, from the Granny Brigade to 2004 Republican Convention events.

Last October, grenades were thrown at the Mexican consulate, and, in 2005, an explosive was set off outside the British Consulate.

Update: During a press conference, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly mentioned the witness's account, "The [suspect] (on the bicycle) was wearing a hood and dark colored clothing, also carrying a backpack. He did not see the individual’s face." And Mayor Bloomberg said, “Whoever the coward was that committed this disgraceful act on our city will be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We will not tolerate such attacks."

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By Jen Chung in News on March 6, 2008 9:43 AM

Comments [rss]

The Edge

Or maybe he/she did it @ 3:45am knowing there was a much higher chance of, say, getting away with it?

What happened to just using a can or two of Krylon? Same effect, people wouldn't be as annoyed because, well, they're used to it.

Oh wait.

The Edge

Or maybe he/she did it @ 3:45am knowing there was a much higher chance of, say, getting away with it?

What happened to just using a can or two of Krylon? Same effect, people wouldn't be as annoyed because, well, they're used to it.

Oh wait.

matthew gannon

thedroog - Remember, Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

JenChungsBra - An IED is something that includes duct tape.

petebfd

no, of course not. i don't agree with anyone taking a life. but it seems like the bomber took decent precautions to prevent that from happening. he/she struck at 3:45, and it seems like the person was nearby when it went off so its not like they left the situation totally out of their control. if it was in fact the same person as the previous two bombings they mentioned, then the person seems to be able to pull this thing off without hurting anyone. the weather underground bombed buildings for years without killing anyone. unfortunately after the one faction blew themselves up in the aborted fort dix attack. (gilbert went to jail for murder after the underground disbanded during a sla armored car heist) obviously there is still a risk in setting off any sort of explosive, but fact remains that no one did get hurt. so any condemnation of the act on the basis of "terrorists hurt and kill people" doesn't make sense because it doesn't apply to this particular act. this was a destruction of property. which is a very different act than maiming and killing people. something the military trades in, btw. so my point is that i much perfer someone who destroys property for political reason than someone who kills for economic reasons.

The Edge

petebfd,

And if the bomb had maimed/killed someone (other than the bomber, of course), you'd still be singing the same tune you are now?

petebfd

@the edge

i'm sorry, i didn't realize that a broken window needed to be treated with delicacy. a moment of silence for all the windows we've lost...

Matt Joyce

To quote maddox.

Civil disobedience... is still disobedience.

cucarachita

Um, excuse me, but is it only called terrorism on the news if it's someone muslim who leaves the bomb? What is this going to be called? Badism? Nastyism? Wrongism? It's terrorism, whoever does it. That was a bomb in the middle of Times Square, for goodness sakes. That's clearly terrorism.

The Edge

"whatever, fuck them, they spend their days signing people up to kill and die. i'm supposed to give a shit about their broken window. go anonymous guy in the hoodie on a bicycle!"

Classy.

Smoke more weed if it makes the day go by faster for ya.

FrankMartin

Lots of speculation here about why people join the military. And Bra did say,

"every person I've known who joined the military did it because it was in their own personal interest to do so. Not because of any advanced concepts of freedom, liberty and sacrifice"

How many is "every person". I'm honestly curious. Because I have met 100s of people who have served or are serving in uniform. Almost all of them, who weren't drafted, joined for two reasons. Meaning and employment AKA "meaningful employment." I concede the point that they might be wrong or misguided, but that is a tough call to make. Especially when you make it based on your opinions about this war Bush etc..

Finally I love the BRA nit picking on improvised Explosive device (IED). I think this was an HIED, Hastily Improvised Explosive device. Although I would argue that freedom, liberty and sacrifice are already and inherently "advanced concepts".

machine

Though I appreciate the hypothesizing, let's keep in mind that this may not actually be an anti-war demonstration. It's a strong possibility, but before we ultimately idealize/demonize the act, maybe we should hold out for some facts.

[Cease Public Service Announcement/Mom voice]

I was partial to the PETA theory myself....

virgil

Also, I vote against barring people like Rolltide and Snoopy. They're racist assholes, but they have as much right to speak their ugly minds and be judged for it as anyone else does.

virgil

Rolltide; Have you met your doppelganger, Snoopy? You would make a great White Power couple. You can sit on the couch together in your tattered underwear, watching FOX news, eating cold pizza and talking about liberals, immigrants, and muslims.

Just be sure to send us pictures from the honeymoon. Send mine to Liberia.

petebfd

@rolltide23

whateve, i'd elaborate and make a point, but you'll disregard it and call me a dirty hippie. or a dirty muslim. or something else that brings nothing to the discussion.

i agree with thedroog. read something. (maxim and the ny post don't count)

JenChungsBaby

Actually, those recruiters are signing people up to meet their quotas and further their own careers. I know that the Pat Tillmans of the world exist, but really, every person I've known who joined the military did it because it was in their own personal interest to do so. Not because of any advanced concepts of freedom, liberty and sacrifice. Maybe I just know the wrong people.

And can I ask, what isn't an "improvised" explosive device? Something you can buy off the shelf at Boeing or Lockheed Martin? Otherwise every explosive device is improvised in some way or another, right?

thedroog

can gothmaist bar Rolltide23 from posting? his hate mongering ('dirty muslims') is totally uncalled for and completely off topic.

oh, and btw Rolltide23, if you look at organized religions from a historical and cultural standpoint, each one has their fanatics. remember the crusades? the pogroms against the jews? the spanish inquisition? you might want to read a book every now and then. or get back to high school. either one might be good for you.

JP Lynch

drewo: You bring up a good point, but the fact remains that there really is not that much of an excuse as far as ignorance is concerned when volunteering to serve in the Armed Forces. Young people have to be more dilligent regarding the life-altering choice they are about to make. When you sign that dotted line you become U.S. property.

petebfd

@ zodak

how is my reasoning glaringly illogical? likesrudy didn't point out anything, he just attacked a throwaway sarcastic comment at the end of my post. with a question that had already been debated in a slew of posts.

and to say that its the right and duty of the american goverment to wage wars for economic gain is ridiculous. and what does debating how stupid this person is accomplish? thats not a debate, debates aren't one sided, thats just pointless piling on, which most of you are doing.

and rolltide, man you're a fucking dumbass. i hate to resort to name calling, but the level of your discussion is so pitifully low. seriously wear a helmet. you need to protect what little shred of intellect you have left in that rattling skull of yours.

zodak

petebfd, your point is lost when it is the result of glaring illogical reasoning. which likesrudylikesbooty also pointed out.

the us gov't has been waging wars solely for economic interests longer than you or i have been alive.

of course, it has. that's the nature & duty of a government to it's citizens. it has to ensure it's continued existence & fund it's method to do so.

how else would it be able to protect your right to advocate & cheer domestic terrorism?

"so the debate really should be about why someone felt the need to do this."

wrong again. we all know why someone felt this way. i doubt anyone here is happy with BushCo. but cowardly terrorism is never the answer. the debate should be about how someone be so stupid to think that this was a good idea. read Polite New Yorker's &

MJG's comments to see just how stupid this act was.