‘It was really terrifying’: Neighbors rocked by explosion near Sam Smith Park in Seattle
Dec 15, 2022, 5:42 AM | Updated: 6:56 am
Photo from KIRO 7
People living in the Central District near Sam Smith Park are on edge following an explosion early Sunday morning.
“It shook the house. It was almost like a real bomb, like something you would hear from a military base or something,” Tanner Lear, who lives in the area, said.
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Seattle Police said they received multiple calls to 911 around 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Callers told dispatchers there was an explosion on Yakima Avenue South.
“It was so loud that it was terrifying really, it was really terrifying,” Pat Graney, another neighbor who was awoken by the blast, said.
She said she and her granddaughter were sleeping when it happened and were woken up by what she calls “an enormous blast.”
“The only other thing I’m thinking in my mind is it’s a nuclear explosion,” she said.
However, SPD said officers couldn’t find any sign of an explosion when they got there.
“Like nobody ever saw any burned-up things, you know, it’s just very strange, very strange,” Graney said.
Ariana Chung said she heard the boom and saw the aftermath.
“At first I thought there was another car crash, but I was shocked there was nothing there except smoke,” Chung said.
SPD said they did recover video footage of the explosion, which led officers to the exact location.
That’s where police said they recovered components of an improvised explosive device or IED.
KIRO 7 asked SPD for an update on the investigation and if they would share the video with our news team and were told in response, “We don’t have any other info on that incident to release at this time, and won’t be doing any interviews on it as it is an active and ongoing investigation.”
Meanwhile, those who live in the area want answers.
“Yeah I’m wondering, not as much as other people, obviously, but I do want to know what it was,” Chung said.
Others feel like they’ll never find out what happened.
“We’ll probably never get answers on it, sadly,” Lear said.
SPD said they are looking for a silver Honda Sedan that has a sunroof with damage to the front and rear-side quarter panels. If you have information, call SPD.
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