FLORIDA NEWSTwo improvised explosive devices detonated at a mall in central Florida on Sunday, authorities stated.
Police are still searching for a person of interest who was seen running from the building.
No one was injured by the blasts around 5:30 p.m. at the Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales, Florida, about 65 miles east of Tampa, NBC News reported.
The devices appeared to resemble pipe bombs; they were made of PVC piping that was wrapped in electrical tape. The explosions occurred in a service corridor near a JCPenney store, and the mall was evacuated as a safety precaution. K9 units searched the mall on Sunday evening and the FBI was notified.
“It’s very concerning to us,” Lakes Wales Deputy Police Chief Troy Schulze said at a press conference on Sunday. “We’re a family-oriented community. This is a family-oriented mall. When this started, my son was actually working here.”
Police are searching for a white male described as heavily built and wearing a gray shirt and hat, according to the local outlet 10 News.
The mall is scheduled to reopen on Monday morning.
- HuffPost