Suspicious device found in Laconia bank parking lot detonated, not believed to be explosive
It's third such incident in recent weeks
It's third such incident in recent weeks
It's third such incident in recent weeks
The state police bomb squad detonated a suspicious device found in the parking lot of a Laconia bank Wednesday afternoon, but it was not believed to be explosive.
The device was discovered just after 4 p.m. outside the Bank of New Hampshire on Pleasant Street, prompting police to evacuate the area.
The bomb squad deployed a robot with an X-ray camera to examine the device. The X-ray images indicated that the device was not explosive, but members of the bomb squad decided to detonate it out of an abundance of caution.
"It looked like two very large battery packs duct-taped together with numerous wires connecting both of them with some kind of device in between the two battery packs," said Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield.
Lew Simmons’s car was parked near the device, and his dog, Maggie, was inside. Officials got the golden retriever to safety before detonating the device.
“After realizing that the device was only 10 feet away from my vehicle, I was a little concerned,” Simmons said.
Wednesday's incident follows the discovery of two explosive devices in the community in recent weeks.
Police said a pipe bomb was discovered Sept. 30 by residents at Bartlett Beach and a chemical bottle bomb was found Sept. 16 in the parking lot of the Belknap County Courthouse.
Investigators aren't sure if the three incidents are connected.
"All three devices that were found so far all have a different operational or mechanical function and the design of the devices," said Canfield, who noted that officials are following some leads.
He added: "Creating such a device and putting it in a public place, whether it is an actual explosive or not, certainly causes panic and alarm to the area."