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Police investigate after possible homemade bomb explodes in Charlotte neighborhood

By Briana Harper
By Briana Harper

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.

[EXCLUSIVE LOOK: NC company trains police dogs to detect homemade bombs]

"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.

Sprinkler said he has lived in the neighborhood for 22 years, and he doesn't know why anyone would target his home with this possible homemade bomb.

“I'm going to put another camera out here, for sure,” Sprinkler said.

The police report shows $500 worth of damage from the explosion.

Police haven't said if there's any direct evidence to suggest Sprinkler was directly targeted.

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