Authorities Are Investigating An Explosion At A Minnesota Islamic Family Center

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Authorities are investigating a blast that occurred at an Islamic family center in Bloomington, Minnesota on Saturday morning. There were no injuries.

First responders arrived at the Dar Al Farooq center shortly after 5 a.m. local time and found "smoke and some damage," according to a statement.

Police are working with federal and state law enforcement partners to determine what caused the explosion. The FBI Minneapolis Field Office is the lead investigative agency, according to the Bloomington police department.

"At this point in the investigation, we're not in a position to say anything to motive or anything like that. It's just too early on," Mike Hartley, deputy chief of police, told BuzzFeed News.

Hartley said there are no suspects as yet and that "nothing significant" in terms of hate crimes have occurred in the area lately.

The police department has asked the public to submit any information that may be related.

The Star Tribune reported "damage was largely confined to the imam’s office." Hartley confirmed "there is damage inside an office," but said it was "hard to say the extent of the damage."

The deputy police chief said he did not have a number on the amount of people in the area at the time of the blast, but the Tribune reported some 15-20 people are usually gathered there for morning prayer. Hartley said the center was closed for rest of the day and that it was unclear when it would be reopened.

Mohamed Omar, executive director of the center, told the Tribune that a worshiper reported seeing a pickup truck speed out of the parking lot after the blast occurred.

The center is located in a largely residential area with a park directly north of it. Reporters on the scene tweeted photos of the center blocked off by police tape.

One video showed a gathering of people outside in a rally-like setting, showing people chanting and calling for unity.

"An attack on a mosque is like an attack on a synagogue or a church or any other worship place, so the only question I have left for all of us is, can we all come together as people," one man who identified himself as Mahmud Kanyare said in the video.

BuzzFeed News has reached out to the community center for comment. The FBI Minneapolis Field Office referred BuzzFeed News to the Bloomington police department for questions.

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