An explosion near the NAACP chapter in Colorado Springs on Tuesday is being investigated by federal agents and local officers, FBI spokeswoman Amy Sanders said, adding that there had been no reported injuries.
The blast occurred outside a barber shop next door to the group's building, which is about an hour south of Denver, the Associated Press reported. It was the first day back in the office for volunteers and employees after an extended holiday vacation.
For now, it remains unclear whether the explosion was an accident or whether it was aimed at the nation's oldest civil rights organization, Sanders said, adding that the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Just before 11 a.m., two volunteers heard a loud "boom", said Henry Allen Jr., president of the chapter. After glancing outside, they described spotting a gas can rigged with some kind of incendiary device, such as a flare.
The area was immediately blocked off by crime scene tape and agents in bomb squad and joint terrorism task force jackets were seen outside the damaged building, according to photos from KRDO-TV. Another picture from the Colorado Springs Gazette showed firefighters outside the building and a ladder leading up to the roof.
A charred area was located on the ground just outside the building, police told KRDO. Shortly after initial reports of the explosion, police said they were informed that a person was seen at the site before the explosion happened.
Meanwhile, the organization "will not be deterred" by the tragic event, Allen said, declining to deem the explosion as a hate crime without any verified information from the FBI.
"We believe in civil rights for all, and really we won't work in fear and we won't be deterred," he said. "We'll move on. ... This won't deter us from doing the job we want to do in the community."
Police spokeswoman Lt. Catherine Buckley deferred further questions to the Denver office of the FBI, which did not immediately return a phone call for comment, ABC News reported.
