Police investigate after possible homemade bomb explodes in Charlotte neighborhood

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department detectives are investigating after a possible homemade bomb exploded Saturday morning in Charlotte’s Chantilly neighborhood.

Police said they are investigating the incident as an arson.

"(At) 3 a.m., I heard two shotgun sounds, so I called police,” said Mark Sprinkler, owner of Chantilly Corner Studios.

Sprinkler said the possible bomb was outside his home and business, so his first instinct was to stay inside and call police.

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"I said, 'I'm not coming out unless I know there's no one with a gun outside,'” Sprinkler said.

Responding overnight officers couldn't find anything out of the norm, but in the morning, Sprinkler said he found pieces of broken glass, a partially charred storefront and a cracked window with smoke damage.

"It was in pieces. It looked like a Snapple bottle with gasoline or something in it and there were shotgun shells melted down and apparently two of them went off,” Sprinkler said.

Police returned to the scene Saturday to investigate and set up dozens of evidence markers.

Police said no arrests have been made.