The FBI offered a reward for information about a potentially lethal bomb found in a backpack along the route of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Spokane, Washington.
Spokane police and firefighters responded just after 9:25 a.m. Tuesday to the northeast corner of Washington Street and Main Avenue after city workers noticed a black Swiss Army backpack apparently abandoned on a bench at an unknown unknown time.
The Spokane police bomb squad used a robotic device to examine the backpack and then detonated the bomb.
An unnamed source reported that the bomb was equipped to detonate by a remote device, such as a car remote or a garage door opener. The unnamed source also reported that the bomb had shrapnel that could have caused significant injuries to anyone near the blast.
The FBI is investigating with other federal agencies and most local police agencies via the Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force. Two T-shirts were found in the bag. One reads “Stevens County Relay For Life June 25th-26th 2010” and another shirt reads “Treasure Island Spring 2009.”
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Auntie’s Bookstore is located right on the corner and was evacuated and closed temporarily. Several restaurants are located just west of the intersection.
See also …
The Spokesman-Review FBI: Bomb could have caused ‘multiple casualties’