Homemade bomb explodes at bank in southwest Edmonton

The bomb squad descended on a new bank in southwest Edmonton’s Heritage Valley area early Wednesday morning, where an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated.

It happened at around 1:40 a.m. at the Royal Bank near 28 Avenue SW and 141 Street SW, in the Chappelle Gardens neighbourhood.

“It was reported to police that an IED exploded in the vestibule,” Edmonton Police spokesperson Scott Pattison said. “Thankfully, neither of the guard personnel were injured although they were treated and transported to hospital.”

Pattison explained the sound from the explosion was so loud the guards had their hearing checked out.

“Any time lives are put at risk or something is violent as this occurrence was, we’re obviously very concerned about it.”

“It’s something new, we haven’t seen this before and we’d like to get to the bottom of it very quickly.”

A GardaWorld armoured truck was seen parked outside the bank. Police said security guards had just arrived at the bank to perform their regular duties when they heard a loud bang inside the entry way to the building.

Edmonton police said the IED was set off inside the vestibule.

After the explosion, a person in an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suit, or a blast suit, could be seen inspecting both in and around the bank. Global News also spotted a bomb disposal robot moving around the parking lot.

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Police said no money was stolen from the bank and robbery section detectives continue to investigate.

“It’s really important that if anybody in the neighbourhood was out and about approximately 1 in the morning, 1:30 a.m. in that time, if they happened to see anybody running away from the site or driving away or… suspicious activity in that particular neighbourhood… to contact police,” Pattison said.

The bank is in a new area of southwest Edmonton, where many businesses in The Shoppes of Jagare Ridge shopping complex are still under construction.