The Philadelphia Police Department has discovered an 18-inch pipe bomb behind St. Dominic Catholic Church. This incident shocked the people in the community and the church.
According to Fox News, the PVC pipe bomb was discovered by a passerby, and he was curious about what the thing was. The church on Frankford Ave between Benson St and Blakiston Ln was surrounded by police and bomb squad personnel while the device was removed.
A Pipe Bomb Found and Imprints Fear to the Community
According to the shared article in Yahoo! News, no one was injured in the incident, and the bomb was safely removed and taken back to police headquarters for further investigation. The motive behind the incident is still unknown, and authorities have not released any information about potential suspects or motives.
The discovery of the pipe bomb at St. Dominic's comes just one day after the shocking and tragic shooting of David O'Connell, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The incidents have left many Catholics feeling uneasy and concerned for their safety as they struggle to understand the reasons behind these violent acts.
The investigation is ongoing, and the church has yet to release a statement regarding the incident.
The community has been curious and afraid of what might happen in the future while the fugitive is still on the run. Alan Serge and Brian Boedecker are residents of the Holmesburg neighbourhood in Philadelphia, where police recently discovered a pipe bomb behind St. Dominic's Catholic Church.
According to CBS News, Serge's neighbour was the one who first alerted authorities to the presence of the bomb, which was found to be an 18-inch PVC pipe with capped ends, black powder on it, and unknown powder inside of it. The Serge family and Boedecker, who have children, expressed their concern and fear for the safety of their community.
Boedecker, who has lived in the neighbourhood for over 20 years, remarked that there had been many incidents. He said that the pipe bomb incident is a first, and he fears what more is to come. The police are analyzing the device, and bomb technicians are working to disassemble it. The church and cemetery have not yet stated the incident.
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Pastor of the Catholic Church Says that the Bomb was not Intended for the Parishioners
Father Edward T. Kearns, a pastor of St. Dominic Parish, released a statement of relief after an unexploded pipe bomb was found close to the parish. Still, he did not think it directly threatened his parishioners.
In the report of Detroit Catholic News, the Philadelphia police knocked on the rectory's door to inform Father Kearns about the pipe bomb's removal operation, which was carried out following the closure of the surrounding streets. The bomb was found behind the church, on Conrail's property, and 100 yards away from the parish's buildings.
Father Kearns spoke directly to the police and was informed that the bomb could not explode as it was a dud. The priest expressed gratitude for this outcome, saying, "Thank God." Despite the incident, he did not think his structures, parishioners, or school students were the intended targets, "I don't think it was in connection to us," he said.
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