Emergency workers tend to Connor Golden, 20, who stepped on explosive material in Central Park on Sunday morning near E. 62nd Street while with friends. (Photo: Andrew Kelly/Reuters)
Manhattan
By Geoffrey Croft
The victim and two friends were enjoying the day climbing on rocks in the southern part of the park when suddenly Connor Golden stepped on a “shock sensitive explosive material “ that went off and severed his left foot according to police.
The explosion was heard blocks away.
The incident occurred at 10:52 am near E. 62nd Street off of the East Drive.
"We don’t know what happened. There was a small explosion and then dust,” “Dust beyond the caliber of fireworks based on what we heard,” said the victim’s friends Thomas Hinds, 20, and Matthew Stabile, 18.
Authorities cordoned off a two block perimeter around the blast. Police from the Counter Terrorism Unit swarmed the area along with officers from the bomb squad. Police fanned out trying to gather evidence, bomb sniffing dogs were deployed.
The FBI joined the investigation.
Officers from NYPD's Stragegic Responce Group secure an area across from today's incident. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC PArk Advocates) Click on images to enlarge
NYPD John O’Connell, a deputy chief for counterterrorism told reporters that the friends had, “jumped off the rock behind me as they did an explosion occurred injuring one of the victims,” he said at a news conference across from the scene.
The vicim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in serious, but stable condition. He is undergoing surgery this evening.
The friends were questioned and cleared by police as suspects.
Authorities said they do not believe incident was connected to terrorism but instead are pointing to a firework experiment or a homemade device.
“It is not unusual for the public to make or try to create homemade fireworks around the Fourth of July,” said deputy chief O’Connell.
"We are not finding anything constant with a constructed IED," said Lt. Mark Torre, of the NYPD’s bomb Squad.
“This is clearly explosive material but there is nothing to indicate that this was an explosive devise that was placed or put in this area with a specific intent to harm any individual.”
Police are canvassing for video are looking for witnesses to determine who is responsible for this horrific incident, and believe the devise was there for a day.
Police secure a path that leads up to the rocks where the incident occured.
Paramedics, firemen, and police help the victim after the explosion in Central Park. (Photo: AP)
Paramedics, firemen, and police help the victim after the explosion in Central Park. (Photo: AP)
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