Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Monday that an explosive device was detonated outside of his office in Montgomery, the state capital. Marshall said in a statement the incident occurred in the early hours of Feb. 24.
Mr. Marshall said in the statement that no injuries occurred as a result of the device detonating.
“Thankfully, no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion,” he said, adding no more details about the incident.
He further announced that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) will be leading the investigation into the explosive detonation.
Investigation Ongoing
ALEA said in a statement to The Epoch Times early Monday they had no additional information as the investigation remained ongoing, adding some more details later in the evening.In their update, ALEA said ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) received notification of a suspicious package near the building housing the Attorney General’s office Monday morning, indicating the explosive was not noticed until two days later.
“It was determined that the suspicious package was an explosive device that was detonated in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 24,” a statement from ALEA stated. “No injuries or damage to nearby buildings have been reported.”
Troopers assigned to ALEA’s Protective Services Division and Special Agents assigned to ALEA’s Hazardous Device Unit (HDU), along with Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Officers from Montgomery Police Department, responded to the scene and deemed the area safe, the release stated.
Possible Motives
Authorities have not stated if there were any political or ideological motives behind the incident, however a controversial ruling by the state’s high court in recent weeks has been the center of national attention.On Feb. 16, the Alabama Supreme Court declared human embryos, including those outside the uterus, as children under state law, thus bringing them under the protection of the state’s wrongful death laws.
This ruling, stemming from a lawsuit against a cryogenic facility for the destruction of stored embryos, has raised significant concerns about the future of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments in Alabama. The surprise ruling drew backlash from both political parties, including the state’s Republican governor.
“Following the ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court, I said that in our state, we work to foster a culture of life,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. “This certainly includes some couples hoping and praying to be parents who utilize IVF. Republican colleague in the Legislature Senator Tim Melson, along with Senate and House members, are working on a solution to ensure we protect these families and life itself. I look forward to continue closely following this issue.”
Mr. Marshall’s office responded to the controversy late last week, with a spokesperson stating last week that his office had no plans to enforce the controversial ruling.
However, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office has now made clear its position regarding the enforcement of this ruling in relation to IVF families and providers.
“Attorney General Marshall has no intention of using the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision as a basis for prosecuting IVF families or providers,” Chief Counsel Katherine Robertson said in a brief statement provided by Marshall’s office to The Epoch Times last week.
ALEA added they would like to reiterate that anyone with information related to the incident should contact ALEA State Bureau of Investigation.
