A man was killed early Saturday when a man intentionally drove his vehicle into Multnomah Athletic Club in Oregon and started a fire, state officials said. portland fire and police, Katu reported.
Portland Fire Rescue arrived at approximately 2:49 a.m. on May 2 following a report that a vehicle had crashed through the club’s front entrance.
“Some staff saw a vehicle driving slowly through the location and entering the MAC Club through a window, while the vehicle continued to drive inside the MAC Club.” portland Police Commander James Crook. “And, a short time later, employees who called 911 found it engulfed in flames.”
After firefighters extinguished the fire, crews discovered a deceased person inside the vehicle.
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Use explosive ordnance disposal devices
explosive ordnance disposal unit portland The Police Department is assisting with the investigation after officers discovered multiple homemade explosives and propane tanks.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team Supervisor Jim Devrein said investigators arrived just after 4 a.m. and found several devices that had exploded, causing considerable damage to the building, and crews continued to find more devices throughout the day.
“It looked like there was an intention to detonate it, but it ended up being detonated more times than it actually was,” he said.
He expressed concern about the proximity of gas pipes to the site of the incident, given the kitchen’s proximity to the vehicle fire.
Explosive ordnance disposal devices employ remote technology, including the use of robots, to safely relocate identified devices.
“I’ve been a bomb technician with the city for over 13 years,” DeFlane said. “This was by far the most complex scene I’ve ever worked on.”
Police Chief Bob Day said the department was confident there were no other threats and that the incident was not an isolated incident.
Multnomah Athletic Club releases statement
In a statement emailed, Multnomah Sports Club’s communications director told KATU: “A car crashed into Multnomah Sports Club early on Saturday morning. We are deeply saddened to discover that someone has died at the scene. We are still assessing the full extent of the damage. Thankfully, no MAC members, staff or guests were injured.”
The statement added: “We are grateful for the quick response and coordination of local and federal authorities, including the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire-Rescue. Our teams are fully cooperating as they lead the investigation, and we will hear more details from them out of respect for the process.”
Multnomah Athletic Club closed
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the individuals involved and said the investigation is ongoing.
The public relations director said the club will remain closed until further notice.
“The MAC will remain closed until further notice to allow law enforcement to complete their work and ensure the facility is safe. At this time, we do not have a timetable for reopening,” the statement said.
Multnomah Sports Club also announced on its Facebook page that it is closed until further notice.
However, police have confirmed that the driver was a male.
