Minneapolis Bomb Unit Called To Device At Lynnhurst Home

Sunday, the Minneapolis Bomb Squad responded to an explosive device that detonated on the stoop of a home on the 4600 block of Emerson Avenue. 

The newest al-Qaeda attack, it was not—the device was a homemade mix of caustic chemicals packed into a soda bottle—but residue from the bomb discolored the home's brick walk, according to Sgt. Bill Palmer, a departmental spokesperson. Devices like this usually make a loud noise when they go off, Palmer said, suggesting it was planted as a prank.

"People don't realize how dangerous these things are," he said. "They've got enough explosive force to take off a couple of fingers."

The bomb squad was called because the bombs' caustic remains can burn exposed skin, and the unit's safety gear was needed, Palmer said. Police have located a witness, who said the culprits were juveniles.

Palmer wouldn't discuss the make-up of the bomb, but a quick Internet search shows many such "soda bottle bombs" are made of a mixture of drain cleaner and tin foil. The chemical reaction builds up enough high-pressure gas in the bottle to cause an explosion, at which point the now-boiling liquid is splattered everywhere. 

May 8

A car was stolen from the 3500 block of Colfax Avenue, where it was parked in front of the victim’s home.

A window screen of a home on the 4900 block of Garfield Avenue was slashed but the perpetrator did not enter the home.

A resident of the 6000 block of Logan Avenue left her car parked in front of her home overnight and, in the morning, its contents had been rifled through.

Someone stole loose change from the center console of a car parked in front of the home of a resident of the 100 block of 59th Street.

A resident of the 3400 block of Garfield Avenue found her car hit, the driver-side mirror knocked off, and the side panels scraped.

The bicycle of a resident of the 3400 block of Emerson Avenue was stolen after she left it in the communal laundry room of her small apartment building.

Gift cards were stolen from the car of a resident of the 6100 block of Sheridan Avenue.

May 7

A suitcase delivered to the home of a resident of the 5300 block of Harriet disappeared before she returned home.

May 6

A beauty salon on the 3700 block of Nicollet Avenue was burglarized. The perpetrator smashed a plate glass window, possibly with a large rock.

All four tires and lug nuts were stolen from a car left parked on the 3400 block of Dupont Avenue. 

While residents of a home on the 4900 block of Zenith Avenue were out of town, someone pushed in and cracked a window pane in a failed break-in.

A 15-year-old had an item stolen from her backpack during fifth period at Washburn High School.

A 16-year-old’s phone was stolen from his locker while he played basketball at the Blaisdell YMCA.

May 5

The rental car of a resident of the 5200 block of Irving Avenue was struck by a car or bike.

May 3

A 27-year-old Minneapolis man was arrested for burglary after officers apprehended him fleeing a home on the 4400 block of Harriet Avenue.

A man living on the 3400 block of Emerson Avenue returned to his apartment to find his wooden door carved with the words “Drugs Here, Liar, Pot, Coke, Cocaine.”

May 2

An unoccupied vehicle was hit by a Ford Explorer on the corner of 46th Street and Nicollet Avenue.

A Minneapolis woman’s purse was stolen on the 5500 block of Xerxes Avenue.

A grill was stolen from the home of a resident of the 3300 block of Colfax Avenue.

May 1

A company-leased vehicle was stolen from the 3300 block of Girard Avenue.

Until convicted, all persons listed by police as suspected of committing a crime or listed as charged with a crime by county, state, or federal prosecutors should be considered innocent.

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