Times Square Closed After Police Find Possible Explosive In SUV

Part of Times Square is closed earlier tonight due a Nissan Pathfinder, parked on West 45th Street near 7th Avenue, that was apparently smoking. WCBS 2 reports, "As a precaution, the bomb squad was brought to the scene and was using a robot to inspect the package. Sources say the robot got up close to the package but that its inspection was inconclusive. Bomb squad personnel then suited up and went in." However, witnesses tell WABC 7 they heard an explosion and saw smoke between 6 and 6:30 p.m., "It was a boom and a puff of smoke," while a firefighter said, "The SUV was smoking. There was a flash and we put two and two together" which then led to an evacuation.

Broadway between 43rd and 46th Streets is closed, and reports say that the NYPD was possibly starting to close 47th Street. Reuters reporters at the scene heard an explosion at 9:15 p.m.; NBC New York described that explosion as a "controlled explosion" (the NYPD bomb squad is on the scene and used its robots to investigate the vehicle). NBC New York also said the contents found in the SUV included propane tanks, tanks of gasoline, black powder, and perhaps a timer and called it an improvised explosive device. The SUV's Connecticut license plates trace back to a Ford.

Some theatergoers to plays and musicals, such as The Lion King, were unable to make the performance. Two out-of-towners told the NY Times that they couldn't go to see Next to Normal but added, "It’s a whole different kind of show. It’s almost the equivalent of a $150 show." A tourist from San Diego who missed seeing Mary Poppins was reasonable about the situation when talking to the Post, "This really sucks, but the NYPD doesn’t want to take any chances. The tourists are the ones who are mad, and the New Yorkers are the ones who just seem to be going around and not bothered by it... As long as I’m safe and not blown to pieces, I’m OK with it." According to the Wall Street Journal, The Lion King's performance was cancelled; God of Carnage and a Behanding in Spokane both started 30 minutes late; and a performance of Fela!—attended by Oprah Winfrey—was uninterrupted.

Police spokesman Paul Browne said there was an unconfirmed report of someone running from the vehicle. The investigation continues; Times Square remains closed and some subway entrances may be temporarily closed.

Back on December 30 of last year, Times Square was shut down due to a suspicious white vehicle that had been parked for days with a fake parking placard. It turned out that the van just contained clothes.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on May 1, 2010 11:08 PM

Comments [rss]

Manitoba

There are so many cameras everywhere in that area; you know that either an NYPD camera or some bodega's camera has footage of someone exiting the vehicle. It's a matter of time before they can use that to track the camera back through the streets of New York as well.

inoyourider

Fuck these scumbags.

More pressure must be put on the Islamic community to turn in the radicals within.

It's worse than the 'stop snitching' stupidity in the ghetto.

No one starts behaving like this overnight.

Someone knows these people and has seen them behaving strangely.

NEW YORK FIEND

Tragedy averted, praise to Lance Orton, who was able to notice something suspicious and inform the police! The veteran is still doing hero's work, and thankfully circumstance turned for the better in this terror attempt that could have played out horribly.

inoyourider

Damn straight, Lance Orton is a good man.

Dwayne Hoover

This bomb appears to be on the same level as that (unsuccessfully) used by the Columbine killers in the school cafeteria. I'd be betting it's a homegrown wannabee.

OKH

It was also used by Islamic extremists is Glasgow successfully and London unsuccessfully. My bet is that no one outside the investigation knows and speculation is silly.

That said, great job by all

Dwayne Hoover

Well, if by successful you mean that both the terrorists in Glasgow managed to set themselves ablaze from the gasoline they were carrying, with one dying from his burns. The propane tanks never caught fire or exploded.

Greenpoint60

Lets just hope that an IRA bloke does not convert and become a Muslim

amg2000

Gunpowder...gunpowder tea...teabagger, er um, Tea Party? I'd be willing to bet this is something homegrown rather than any Al Queda plot. The enemy comes from within...

Bloomsbury

In other major cities like London or Tokyo, you'd never be able to park on the street in a location like Times Square. A blanket ban on stopping in areas like this makes any vehicles that stop stand out and get picked up by the police more easily.

Greenpoint60

I bet The T-shirt hawker was an undercover cop

Greenpoint60

when I went to Belfast in the 1980's they banned motor cars from the center of the city. stay tuned

thefacts

Gee, maybe TransAlt is behind it.

Liam

If this was the work of TransAlt, it would make you seem a like a little less of an insane person. Sadikkk Khan probably worked it out with them to have 7th Avenue closed also.

thefacts

OOhhh, you take it so seriously, don't you, little one?

Did I get your Spandex in a knot?

Liam

* a little less like

ides_of_march

Swedish lutherans up to their antics again.

Greenpoint60

That is not funny, they burned down and killed millions in Germany in the 30 years war.

jules1000

surprised this hasn't happened before. Whoever did this was perhaps just testing the location and whether and how fast police would find it?

jt10000

It has happened before. There have been a number of bombings and attempted bombings in NYC over the years. Some have killed people. But in the larger scheme of things, they're super rare.

It's only since 9/11 that we have to get all panicked.