Cars Bore Brunt of Clinic Blast, Probe Finds

Two bombs that rocked an abortion clinic were powerful enough to scatter debris for blocks, but two cars absorbed the brunt of the second blast, probably preventing deaths, a federal official said Friday at a news conference.

At least six people suffered mostly minor injuries in the second explosion. With the exception of an FBI agent, all had been released from the hospital by Friday. A Fulton County fire marshal was slightly injured Friday morning when he was inside the building and part of the structure collapsed on him.

No one has taken responsibility for the two bombs that exploded Thursday outside the abortion clinic north of Atlanta, and U.S. Atty. Kent Alexander refused to name any suspects.

Authorities have determined that the first bomb was placed outside the clinic at the rear of the building. The second, which exploded about an hour later, was next to a trash container in the parking lot.

Additional sweeps by law enforcement officers were being done at abortion clinics in the Atlanta area Friday, and they will continue through next week’s anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion, Alexander said.

More than 200 people have called a toll-free number set up by investigators and some have produced leads, he said, declining to give details.

“We’re still pursuing all avenues and all motives. Clearly abortion clinics is one possible motive, but that is not the only possible motive,” he said.

Some of Atlanta’s other abortion clinics had private security guards standing outside Friday.