Central Park Explosion (2016)
The Central Park Explosion in July 2016 was an accidental detonation involving a homemade explosive that injured an 18-year-old college student, Connor Golden, from Virginia. On July 3, while visiting Central Park with friends, Golden accidentally triggered an improvised explosive device after landing on it while jumping off a rock. The explosion caused severe injuries to his leg and foot, prompting a swift response from police and emergency services, which were already present in the park for a separate event.
Initial fears of a terrorist attack arose due to the explosion; however, subsequent investigations by the New York Police Department and the Joint Terrorism Task Force concluded that it was an accident. The explosive was identified as TATP (triacetone triperoxide), a volatile substance that can be made from common household products. Investigators suggested that the device was likely left by individuals experimenting with fireworks for the Fourth of July celebrations, and no evidence indicated any malicious intent. Golden underwent surgery and was expected to recover fully with the aid of prosthetics. This incident highlighted the dangers of mishandling explosives, particularly during festive periods when such activities may occur.
Central Park Explosion (2016)
Date: July 3, 2016
Place: New York, New York
Summary
The July 2016 Central Park explosion was an accident that occurred in New York’s Central Park in which a college student visiting the city from Virginia accidentally detonated a small improvised explosive, damaging his leg and foot.
Key Events
- July 3, 2016—Connor Golden accidentally triggers an improvised explosive left in Central Park, injuring his leg and foot.
- July 14, 2016—New York police announce that the explosive substance TATP, which can be manufactured from common substances available at beauty and hardware stores, was used to manufacture the device that injured Golden.
Status
As of September 2016, New York police and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), had determined that Connor Golden’s injury was an accident and have not uncovered any evidence to suggest any link to terrorism. Golden returned to Virginia on July 27, and doctors in his home state believed that, with advancements in prosthetics, Golden would be able to make a full recovery.
In-Depth Overview
Eighteen-year-old Connor Golden, a native of Fairfax, Virginia, and a music engineering student at the University of Miami in Florida, visited New York’s Central Park with friends on July 3, 2016. Golden and friends were walking in the area of the park near Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Ninth Street when they jumped off a rock and Golden landed on an explosive substance. The explosive detonated as a result of the impact, severely injuring Golden’s leg and foot. Police and journalists already in the park to cover the funeral services of Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel responded to the scene, and initial reports resulted in widespread fear that there had been a terrorist attack. Some news reports indicated that police were clearing the park, though police spokespeople later denied the rumors and stated that police found no evidence of terrorism. Police and emergency crews found Golden lying against a rock with an improvised tourniquet of blue fabric tied around his leg. He was taken to Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital for surgery and was in stable condition when emergency crews took him to the hospital. While Golden was being treated in the hospital, police and several canine units searched the area around where the explosion occurred for signs of any other device.
At the scene, Lt. Mark Torre of the police department’s bomb squad told reporters that Golden may have accidentally encountered a homemade explosive left behind by individuals experimenting with creating their own fireworks for the Fourth of July. The initial bomb squad investigation did not indicate that the explosive was designed to detonate on impact, but had most likely been accidentally detonated due to Golden’s weight pressing the substance into the ground. To rule out the possibility that the explosive had been left by a terrorist, police called on assistance from the Joint Terrorism Task Force; the part of the park where the explosion occurred was cordoned off while FBI and police investigators conducted an initial investigation.
Lt. Torre told reporters in subsequent interviews that improvised explosives and fireworks are common around Fourth of July celebrations, but also stressed that the accident demonstrates the danger in experimenting with explosives. Because of the initial fear that the explosion was a terrorist attack, media attention was high and reports indicated that President Barack Obama was briefed on the incident before it was concluded that the accident was not related to terrorism.
On July 14, police announced that they had discovered that the improvised explosive contained TATP (triacetone triperoxide), a highly volatile explosive substance that can be created using acetone (nail polish remover) and hydrogen peroxide, both common household chemicals. TATP is unstable and can explode when subjected to heat, electrical currents, or friction. Despite the fact that the same substance has been used by terrorist organizations, police found no reason to suspect that the device had been purposefully left to injure bystanders, and Lt. Torre maintained that the incident appeared to be an unfortunate accident involving experimentation with explosives. Investigators reported that they had been able to trace the bag used to contain the explosive to a defunct bakery in New Jersey, but were unable to locate a suspect after visiting the site.
Key Figures
Connor Golden: Fairfax, Virginia, teenager injured in an explosive accident in Central Park.
Mark Torre: Lieutenant in the New York Police Department’s bomb squad investigation unit.
Bibliography
McBride, B. (2016, July 27). College student injured by Central Park explosion returns home, family says. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/college-student-injured-central-park-explosion-returns-home/story?id=40918093
NYPD: Traces of TATP explosive found in Central Park explosion. (2016, July 14). CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nypd-traces-of-substances-found-in-central-park-explosion/
Pavlak, S. (2016, July 5). College student injured in explosion in New York’s Central Park. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/04/us/new-york-central-park-explosion/
Prokupecz, S., & Perez, E. (2016, July 14). Explosive identified in Central Park blast. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/14/us/central-park-explosion/
Rojas, R., & Schmidt, S. (2016, July 3). Man injured in Central Park explosion. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/04/nyregion/man-injured-in-central-park-explosion.html
Siff, A. (2016, July 18). College student whose leg was blown off at Central Park remains "strong, resilient," family says. NBC New York. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/College-Student-Prosthetic-Operations-Central-Park-Explosion-Homemade-Bomb-Connor-Golden-387317692.html
Wilson, M. (2016, July 11). After Central Park blast, finding pieces of a "jigsaw puzzle," small as they may be. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/nyregion/after-central-park-blast-finding-pieces-of-a-jigsaw-puzzle-small-as-they-may-be.html