NEW YORK - An explosive device caused minor damage to an empty military recruiting station in Times Square early Thursday, shaking guests in hotel rooms high above "the crossroads of the world."
Police blocked off the area to investigate the explosion, which occurred at 3:45 a.m.. No one was injured, The blast left a gaping hole in the front window and shattered a glass door, twisting and blackening its metal frame.
"If it is something that's directed toward American troops than it's something that's taken very seriously and is pretty unfortunate," said Army Capt. Charlie Jaquillard, who is the commander of the Army recruiting in Manhattan.
He said no one was inside the station, where the Marines, Air Force and Navy also recruit.
Witnesses staying at a Marriott hotel four blocks away said they could feel the building shake with the blast.
"I was up on the 44th floor and I could fel it. It was a big bang," said Darla Peck, 25, of Portland, Oregon.
"It shook the building. I thought it could have been thunder, but I looked down and there was a massive plume of smoke so I knew it was an explosion," said Terry Leighton, 48, of London, who was staying on the 21st floor of the Marriott.
Members of the police department's bomb squad and fire officials gathered outside the station in the early morning darkness, and the police cars and yellow tape blocked drivers - most of them behind the wheels of taxicabs - from entering one of the world's busiest crossroads. Police began allowing some traffic through around the start of rush hour.
Though subway cars passed through the Times Square station without stopping in the early hours of the investigation, normal service was soon restored, with some delays.
The recruiting station, located on a traffic island surrounded by Broadway theaters and chain restaurants, has occasionally been the site of anti-war demonstrations, ranging from silent vigils to loud rallies.
https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_re_us/times_square_shutdown;_ylt=Aix8acuFHJWZFiqHaUyC9ICs0NUE
Mar 06, 2008 @ 14:29:03
