Person found dead in car after it plows into health club in Portland, Oregon | Oregon
One person was found dead after a vehicle crashed into a health club in downtown Portland, Oregon, early Saturday morning, police said. Investigators later discovered explosives inside the car.
Portland Police and Portland Fire and Rescue responded to the Multnomah Athletic Club shortly before 3 a.m. after the vehicle crashed into the main entrance and caught fire. After the fire was brought under control, a person was found dead inside the vehicle, police said in a statement.
An explosive ordnance disposal unit was called after evidence of an explosive device was found, police said.
Sources said the driver of the vehicle was a former employee of the club, the Oregonian newspaper reported. According to investigators, one of the sources said, the former employee — allegedly disgruntled and suffering from mental health issues — rented a car Friday, which he used to enter the building and around the first floor of the facility before detonating the explosive devices, believed to be a mix of propane tanks and pipe bombs, the Oregonian reported.
The club’s first floor housed a casual restaurant, formal event spaces, a members’ lounge overlooking Providence Park, a retail store, and the front desk. Other amenities included exercise rooms, swimming pools, a climbing wall, an indoor track, various sports fields and three other restaurants.
A club spokesman, Adam Linnman, said in a statement that the accident occurred while the club was closed and that no club members or staff were injured. He said club officials are deferring to local and federal authorities for further details.
A notice on the club’s website said the establishment “will remain closed until further notice” and asked members and neighbors to avoid the area until the investigation is complete. “Our team is cooperating fully with the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue, who are leading the investigation. Out of respect for this process, we are deferring to them for additional details,” the statement said.
Special agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded, the agency said.
The Multnomah Athletic Club bills itself as the largest private sports and social club in the United States, founded in 1891 with more than 21,000 members.
