Early Saturday, a vehicle carrying explosives drove through the front entrance of the Multnomah Athletic Club in downtown Portland, Oregon, shortly before 3 a.m. The vehicle caught fire after the crash; once firefighters brought the blaze under control, officers located the driver dead inside. Club officials said no employees or members were injured.
The driver has not been formally identified, though sources speaking to The Oregonian said the person was a former club employee. Investigators later found multiple incendiary and improvised explosive devices in the vehicle and inside the building, some of which had partially detonated. Propane tanks were also recovered. Police used robots to remove and detonate remaining devices, and said some devices had already gone off, causing significant damage to the area.
Employees reported seeing the suspect vehicle slowly circle the building before it struck the club. Based on preliminary investigation, detectives believe the driver intentionally entered the facility with the intent to deploy explosive devices. Portland Police Chief Bob Day described the incident as isolated and said it is not being treated as domestic terrorism.
The Multnomah Athletic Club announced the facility will remain closed for an extended period while law enforcement completes its work. The Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire and Rescue are leading the response, with assistance from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.