BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — There were no injuries after the discovery of two explosive devices in Bluefield on Monday morning.
West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, and other law enforcement responded to a call at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Bluefield around 9:40 a.m. Officers evacuated all people from the building and an adjacent apartment building as they dealt with the device.
BREAKING NEWS: Loud boom heard from courthouse; bomb squad on scene
At 11:40 a.m., police yelled “fire in the hole” and shortly thereafter a loud boom was heard from inside of the federal courthouse. However, no smoke or debris was visible. https://t.co/j7RkVWB6Ik
— Blfd Daily Telegraph (@BDTonline) August 22, 2022
The device was apparently destroyed around 11:40 inside the federal building. An explosion was heard from the building. The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported law enforcement yelled “…fire in the hole..” ahead of the explosion.
Bluefield Police told MetroNews the situation at the courthouse was “under control” by noon.
WVNS Television reported a second device near the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bluefield. The area is blocked off near the church. Reports indicate a man is in custody a man came to the federal courthouse to speak to U.S. Marshals and had one device with him and had left the second device in the bushes outside the church.
UPDATE: Another reported explosive device was found at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bluefield, West Virginia. Bomb squad has arrived pic.twitter.com/CSRhaQAES4
— Aynae Simmons WVNS (@AynaeSimmons) August 22, 2022
Members of the bomb squad appeared to have secured the device at the church and moved to the suspect’s home which is an apartment on the same street as the church.
The FBI put out the following statement Monday afternoon:
At approx. 10:30am today, FBI Pittsburgh responded to the Elizabeth Kee Federal Building in Bluefield West Virginia. Currently, we are investigating a suspicious package at two locations to include the U.S. Courthouse and the subject responsible is currently being questioned. There is no active threat at this time. FBI Pittsburgh’s Charleston RA, West Virginia State Police bomb squad and K9 assets, along with ATF SABT responded to the scene. No further information is available.