What to Know
- A father and son were killed in the blast. Officials believe the father "was friends" with the third victim.
- Three people were killed in an "intentional" car explosion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Saturday night, officials confirmed.
- The vehicle exploded in the 700 block of West Turner Street near North Hall Street around 9:30 p.m.
A father and son were killed Saturday night when a car exploded in Allentown, the Lehigh Coroner's Office announced Monday afternoon.
Jacob Schmoyer, 26, of Allentown, and his 2-year-old son, Jonathon Schmoyer, were among two of the victims, officials said.
A third victim, David Hallman, 66, also from Allentown, knew and "was friends" with the elder Schmoyer, authorities added.
Three cars were removed from the scene, including the one that received the brunt of the blast, officials said. [[494829531, C]]
No arrests have been made as of Monday.
Officials hope to finish processing the crime scene by Tuesday but the investigation remains ongoing.
The deadly blast rocked Allentown Saturday night and shocked both witnesses and residents, several of whom described seeing body parts litter the street.
One neighbor told NBC10 that his entire apartment building shook after the explosion. Another said it sounded like fireworks going off in the street.
"We heard a big blast and we ran out to our balcony to see if we could see anything," neighbor Jonathan Pack said. "My gut reaction was, bomb."
Mike Hunter, another witness, was about a block away from the blast when he heard the explosion.
"People were yelling. People were running," Hunter said. "People were scared."
Hunter grabbed his cellphone and recorded the aftermath. The video showed a car engulfed in flames, as well as what appear to be body parts on the ground.
"I've never seen anything like that before," Hunter said. "I've only seen things like that on TV."
Dozens of ATF agents responded to the scene Saturday night, which they said appeared to be a "criminal matter." County, state and federal officials were also involved in the ongoing investigation. Local residents were advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes around the crime scene.
On Facebook, Allentown Councilman Courtney A. Robinson expressed sympathy for the victims and the community at large, and warned that "this will be a complicated investigation and it will take time until we know what happened."
Neighbors, meanwhile, described a confusing and terrifying scene moments after the blast tore through the area.
"As soon as I turned around I heard a big boom," Desiree Guth, a witness, said. "I saw the car on fire. I saw a leg by the car and I ran away."
