Authorities in Washington County investigating 2 incidents involving explosives

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two incidents involving homemade explosives.

The incidents happened just hours apart Monday night.

The first went off near Inwood Avenue North and 27th Street North in Lake Elmo. The second happened in the Afton Creek Preserve development off of Trading Post Trail in Afton.

"Our house actually shook. That’s what was frightening," said Nancy Turner, who lives just down the road from the scene in Afton.
That blast damaged a small portion of roadway.

Investigators believe it was caused by a homemade explosive, likely some sort of pipe bomb.

"Is there a target in our neighborhood for whoever did it? And who’s the target?" Turner said. "People are looking out for each other and everyone’s worried."

In Lake Elmo, neighbors told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS it appeared the explosive had been left on a rock in front of a home.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said no one was hurt in either incident. They received multiple 911 calls about both cases from people who heard a loud boom up to two miles away.

The sheriff’s office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives were at the scenes investigating Tuesday.

Detectives are working to determine if the incidents are connected. No one is in custody at this time.

"It feels helpless. You just want to know who did it, if it was just vandalism or is it more nefarious," Turner said. "You wonder in this day and age what’s going on. It’s scary."