A 'Suspicious Device' Was 'Strategically Placed' Along The Vancouver Half Marathon Route
The race was delayed while explosives experts were called out.
A bomb disposal expert. Right: Runners during a Vancouver marathon.
The Vancouver Marathon was delayed during the weekend after police said a "suspicious device" was "strategically placed" along the half marathon route.
Explosives experts were called to help clear the device after a marathon volunteer spotted it along the route near Science World shortly after 5 a.m. on Sunday.
Vancouver police spokesperson Sergeant Steve Addison said that "whoever did this was likely aiming to cause panic or to disrupt the event."
"This is extremely concerning, and it appears the device was strategically placed along the half marathon route, where runners would be passing close by," he added.
The area close to the device was cordoned off, and bomb technicians from VPD's Emergency Response Team were sent to investigate the device before they destroyed it.
Their findings were that the device was "not at risk of exploding" and that it "did not pose an immediate danger to the public."
However, the start of the marathon was delayed while the bomb technicians were at the scene.
As of Sunday evening, no arrests had been made, but investigators from VPD's Major Crime Section, Forensic Identification Unit and Operations Division were still collecting additional evidence.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.