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The FBI, New Mexico State Police, and several other law enforcement agencies are investigating the circumstances surrounding explosive devices that were detonated Sunday Morning at two local churches.
Just after 8:00 an explosive device was detonated in a mailbox outside of the Calvary Baptist Church in Las Cruces, about 20 minutes later another explosive was detonated in a trash receptacle near the entrance of the Holy Cross Catholic Church.
No one was injured in the two explosions and relatively minor damage was reported. New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas says the investigation is ongoing.
“These are not firecrackers,” Kassetas said. “These devices were intended I believe to do harm, and could have done harm to people.”
Several people had begun to gather for service at the Calvary Baptist Church at the time of the explosion. Service was already underway when the explosion occurred at the Holy Cross Catholic Church and about 200 people were in attendance.
Governor Susana Martinez was in Las Cruces encouraging people to stay vigilant, and to continue visiting their houses of worship.
“If you intention was to bring fear,” Martinez said. “To those who worship you have failed. Our faith is too strong, and our fellowship is unbreakable.”
After the explosions about 100 people gathered for a multi-faith peace vigil at Pioneer Park.
New Mexico Communities in Action and Faith, or Café, helped to organize the vigil. Executive Director Sarah Nolan says it was important to bring the community together.
“As a person of faith first,” Nolan said. “The way that we heal and fight fear is through love and community, and so my first thought was how can we create community in time of uncertainty and fear.”
Father Bob Mosher with Catholic Diocese in El Paso says in crisis it’s important for members of different faiths to come together.
“This is exactly the kind of situation where we have to speak with one voice,” Father Mosher said. “All of our spiritual traditions promote peace, cooperation and respect for each others traditions, respect for human dignity.”
A Federal laboratory is currently processing evidence from both scenes. Anyone with information on who may be responsible for the two explosive devices is being asked to call the FBI tipline at 1-800-CALL- FBI. FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bryan Finnegan says that support from the community is necessary to help find who was responsible.
“Someone out there saw something,” Finnegan said. “Someone out there knew something. And if this actor is listening, turn yourself in, get this over with. We know your looking over your shoulder, we know you want to do the right thing and to turn yourself in and confess to this crime. Please do so as quickly as possible.”
Because NMSU and DACC Students make up a large percentage of local population, NMSU police are asking students, faculty, and staff to be aware of suspicious activity like unattended bags or containers in public, and vehicles in unusual locations.
