Toronto Police safely detonated an incendiary device at King and Peter St. this morning. SOURCE: 680NEWS/Carl Hantske
By Xiaoli Li and Erica Vella
Toronto Police have safely detonated a suspicious package believed to contain an “incendiary device,” found in the trunk of a car in Toronto’s entertainment district on Tuesday morning.
Staff Sgt. Steve French of 14 Division told Humber News the event was an isolated incident.
Shortly before 3 a.m. a vehicle was pulled over for a low risk traffic offense.
“It was a fairly routine low level matter that has turned into something more significant,” French said.
At approximately 8 a.m., the Toronto Police Services’s Emergency Task Force safely detonated the suspicious package at the intersection of King St. and Blue Jays Way.
Const. Sarah Diamond told Humber News there was no damage to store fronts in the neighbouring areas but the investigation is still ongoing.
Toronto Police earlier closed King St. between Spadina and John St., Peter St. between Adelaide and King St. and Charlotte St. between Adelaide and King St. but they are now open.
Roads closed earlier in the day. The affected areas, in red, are now open to traffic again. SOURCE: Google Maps.
Terrance Long , a former Canadian military engineer and explosive ordinance disposal expert told Humber News it would not be difficult to construct an incendiary device.
“People can go on the internet to find that type of information. But at the same time, some of the information that is on the internet is incorrect and it could actually cause an incident by somebody trying to develop an incendiary device.”
Long said on-site bomb disposal technicians determine what should be done if an incendiary device is found.
The package was detonated against a brick wall outside of a Shoppers Drug Mart.
Long said people need to be aware of the surrounding environment when detonating an incendiary device as it could create shrapnel.
“If there was a wall in close proximity then the technician probably moved it close to the wall he could stop some of that debris from being throw from the center of the detonation,” Long said.
Allana Reoch works at the intersection of King and Peter St.
“I was so confused when I came to work this morning. Looking at the cordoned off area and then seeing the same thing in the news,” Reoch told Humber News.
Const. Diamond said people are being asked to stay away from cordoned off areas until investigations are completed.
neither Const. Diamond nor Sgt. French could confirm if the package is linked to possible arsonists as reported by Toronto news organizations.
Details on suspects are not available at this time.
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