Police arrest suspect involved in the IED explosion in Barrie, Ont. parking lot
CTV
A 36-year-old man has been arrested for a car bombing incident that took place in Barrie last fall.
A 36-year-old man has been arrested for a car bombing incident that took place in Barrie last fall.
On Monday, detectives from the Barrie Police Service Street Crime Unit located William Ivan Downey in Ajax, Ont. He was identified as the suspect involved in the explosion that occurred in the parking lot of 108A Anne Street in Barrie on September 27, 2023.
The incident was reported by several people who called 911 after hearing a loud bang.
Barrie police say a car parked in the outdoor parking lot was targeted shortly before 3 a.m.
In an interview with CTV News in September 2023, Barrie Police Services Corporate Communications Coordinator Peter Leon said, "We believe at this point there was an explosive device placed upon the motor vehicle parked in the parking lot and that a portion of that device did not explode at the time, became dislodged, and that was the device that was remotely imploded by our explosive unit."
Leon said the service's Explosive Disposal Unit attended the scene and performed a 'controlled detonation' on a device found 10 to 12 feet away from the initial explosion.
While police say the explosion was contained to the parking lot, officers evacuated residents in the adjacent apartment building and anyone nearby.
