Gov. Chris Christie says New Jersey pipe bomb 'clearly an act of terrorism'

By Yvette C. Hammett

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday a pipe bomb that exploded inside a trash can on a charity run path is a definite act of terrorism meant to frighten people in his state. Photo Courtesy of Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called an explosion near a charity run Saturday "clearly an act of terrorism" meant to frighten people in his state.

"As far as terrorism is concerned, it is clearly an act of terrorism," Christie said on Fox News Sunday. "We just don't know who is responsible for it."

No one was injured after the pipe bomb detonated near a Marine Corps charity run in Seaside Park, N.J.

The governor said the FBI is investigating the pipe bomb incident and has "very promising leads," The Hill reported.

"It was done intentionally to try to terrorize the people of New Jersey," he said. "So that we know, but we need to know who is responsible to get them into custody."

Christie said he doesn't think, at this time, there is a connection between the pipe bomb in New Jersey and an explosion in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood Saturday night that sent 29 people to the hospital, broke windows and sent metal shrapnel flying through the air. A second explosive device made from a pressure cooker was found four blocks from the New York blast.

He also said there is no evidence at this time to link the explosion to an incident in St. Cloud, MN where a man stabbed eight people inside a mall before being killed by an off-duty police officer. In that case, the attacker referenced Allah and asked at least one person before he began the attack whether they were Muslim.

A news agency with connections to Islamic State has claimed the man as an IS recruit who "carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of countries belonging to the crusader coalition."