May 4, 2008



Explosion Damages Federal Courthouse Downtown
Courthouse Will Be Closed Monday



SAN DIEGO -- An explosion damaged the entrance to the federal courthouse in downtown San Diego in the predawn hours Sunday and resulted in the postponement of tomorrow's scheduled court hearings.

FBI field offices and federal courthouses nationwide have been alerted about the blast, which may have been caused by a pipe bomb timed to go off at a time when no one would be hurt, an FBI spokesman said.

The loud blast at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Courthouse, 940 Front St., occurred at about 1:40 a.m., said the FBI's April Langwell.

By noon, no claims of responsibility had been received, Langwell said.

The explosion damaged the front door and lobby area of the building, she said. A photograph of the damage showed a tall window with a tear down the left side and a hole punched through the bottom.

Some metal fragments from the explosion were found across the street, according to a freelance cameraman at the scene.

"It was determined that the cause was a small explosive device," Special Agent Darrell Foxworth told reporters. He went on to say the device may have been a pipe bomb, according to broadcast reports.

No one was injured, San Diego police Sgt. Bob Dare said.

Langwell said there would be no court hearings Monday to accommodate repair work and the FBI's continuing investigation, but the clerk's office will be open. The branch federal courthouse in El Centro will conduct its Monday calendar as scheduled, she said.

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END of CNN Release