ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Authorities on Sunday confirmed that three “males” died in a fiery car explosion Saturday night in Center City Allentown, what they called an “isolated incident.” They also believe “the perpetrator” was killed in the blast, an explosion that shook city buildings and residents, leaving many to wonder what could have led to such carnage.
The car exploded about 9:30 p.m. Saturday on the 700 block of Turner Street, at Hall Street, about a block away from PPL Center, which was hosting a Lehigh Valley Phantoms preseason game that ended within minutes of the blast.
Many residents were rattled by the grisly scene, which was widely shared through videos on social media. The car was nearly unrecognizable — some said split in half — and flaming parts littered the street, as did body parts blown far from the explosion. Most said they would never forget such a sight.
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said investigators believe one of the three dead males was a suspect in the “criminal incident.”
“We know there’s been a criminal incident,” Martin said at the news conference. “We have a high degree of confidence that the perpetrator was probably killed in the incident.”
Martin made the comment in response to a reporter’s question, the only one that authorities answered during a nine-minute news conference. When a second reporter asked about the approximate ages of those killed, an unidentified official with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stepped in and said authorities would answer no further questions and expected to have more information Monday morning.
Coroner Scott Grim said the three males are in the process of being identified. He expected to potentially release their identities on Monday, once their families were notified. Grim said autopsies also are slated to be performed Monday.
Throughout the news conference, authorities stressed they believe there’s no ongoing threat in the area. But they noted authorities will remain on the scene until the investigators have finished their analysis. Allentown Police Chief Tony Alsleben said the ATF is taking the lead on the investigation.
“We’re in the very early stages of this investigation,” said Don Robinson, ATF special agent in charge. “It’s a large scene, and we’ve got a lot of folks involved in scene work as well as interviews and follow-up.”
Robinson said authorities were looking for the public’s help, and anyone who has information on the incident can call 888-ATF-BOMB.
The ATF and the FBI, which said it brought all available assets and resources to the city, were among the dozens of law enforcement agencies that descended upon Allentown following the explosion Saturday night. When it happened, residents were left wondering what happened.
Some thought fireworks. Others thought a large piece of machinery had fallen. Some residents found out sooner than others what really happened, their curiosity pushing them to run to the scene on Turner Street — a display of fire, smoke and body parts awaiting them.
Stephanie Connelly was among those who saw the scene, before police progressively cordoned off larger sections of the crime scene and before the bright siren lights and the occasional barking of K-9 units filled the night air.
Connelly and her friends made a quick stop at an Allentown convenience store Saturday night when the powerful explosion roared nearby, scattering debris for several blocks.
She immediately thought of the 2011 gas explosion at 13th and Allen streets that killed five people. So she went running toward the flames and heavy smoke.
It seemed that everywhere she stepped, the carnage was inescapable. There were severed body parts. Burning car pieces. Screaming people yelling for help.
“This is real life and I’m shaking and freaking out while I’m running,” Connelly said. “Every place we looked, there was a body part or something there.”
The explosion — what her boyfriend called a massive “BOOM” — could be felt in their bones, as well as ringing in their ears.
“It shook everything so hard,” said Waldemar Colon, the boyfriend.
There were two smaller explosions as the car wreckage blazed away and people walked around in a daze. A police officer armed with a fire extinguisher tried to put out the fire as the smoke began to clear and the grisly scene became even more clear.
“You can’t even believe what you are seeing,” Connelly said. “All this in Allentown?”
Connelly said it was the first time she had seen a dead body and the sobering scene would stay with her.
“I just don’t know if I can walk by a car again without worrying about it blowing up,” she said.
But authorities stressed several times during the news conference that they believe it was an isolated incident. Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell, citing law enforcement officials, said “the residents of the city are safe.” The Allentown School District will have school Monday, and extra crisis management will be on hand, Superintendent Thomas Parker said.
For those needing shelter, Alsleben said the American Red Cross planned to open the East Side Youth Center to them as of 9 p.m. Sunday.
Neighbors on the 700 block of Turner Street could be displaced for a while, with Martin saying the situation would likely be “inconvenient for the people that live in that area” until authorities are able to collect the evidence that will lead to a conclusion as to why the explosion occurred.
While many things remain blurry, one thing is clear: The investigation is far from over.
“We understand the public interest in this matter,” U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain said at the news conference. “We will share with you what we can when we can, but I think you can also appreciate that we’re at the beginning of trying to piece this all together.”
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