A day after the Boston Marathon attack, Cedar Falls Public Works employees found a pipe bomb in a storm drain by 2300 Royal Drive while working on clearing the storm drain.
Were all thinking about Boston, said Cedar Falls Chief of Police Jeff Olson. But were going to do some checking, and again, this could have been here for a long time or it may not be, but we just dont know. But were going to check around the other storm drains and make sure were pretty safe here.
Olson said city workers found and took out a highly suspicious object, then called the Cedar Falls police department. When it was determined that the device appeared to be a pipe bomb, the Waterloo bomb squad was called to secure the scene.
Using a robot, the bomb squad used a device to detonate and neutralize the bomb.
Especially after (the Boston Marathon) it kind of opens up your eyes a little bit. It makes you worry about it a little bit, said 23-year-old Evan Franzmeier, the general manager of Kosama Cedar Falls, which was right next to the bomb scene.
Residents in the Royal Drive neighborhood were evacuated, and children from Community United Child Care on Seerley Boulevard were placed on lockdown, but parents were also able to pick-up their children.
Police are currently unsure of when the bomb was placed or who placed it. The pipe bomb was a mix of metal and PVC.
Alyssa McKillip, senior criminology major, lives by the Main Street area and said she still feels safe but the situation is kind of strange and weird and unsettling.
