Bomb Explodes At eBay PayPal HQ In SJ On Halloween
Investigators determined the blast was deliberately set and believe an explosive device was placed outside an exit at the building that leads to the company's first floor network operations center.
"It's definitely not an accident," San Jose police Sgt. Nick Muyo said. "Everything else there is accounted for. This was not any kind of accident or malfunction."
"Whatever caused this (blast) was pretty strong," added Fire Department Capt. Jose Guerrero. "It's tough to break one of these windows."
There was no immediate word on the contents of the device, but officials told CBS 5 Tuesday night that the debris left behind was not radiological.
Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms spokeswoman Nina Delgadillo said no further details about what caused the explosion were available Wednesday.
PayPal spokeswoman Amanda Pires said the company had not received any threats but declined to comment further on the investigation of the blast.
"We believe this is an isolated incident," she said. "We're working closely with local authorities. We have everything under control."
Business was not disrupted, but the complex at 2211 North 1st St. in San Jose was closed Wednesday and cordoned off by police tape. About 1,900 eBay and PayPal employees who work in buildings on the campus where the explosion occurred were asked to work from home or at another eBay campus in San Jose, Pires said.
The blast occurred near an outdoor corridor popular for employee breaks and was not visible from the street. A 6-by-7-foot window was shattered, but there was no other damage.
Roughly 26 employees were evacuated following the explosion at 7:30 p.m., and members of the bomb squad and a hazardous materials team immediately scoured the area, according to Guerrero. No injuries were reported.
Investigators from the San Jose police and fire departments, the FBI and the ATF remained at the scene on Wednesday continuing to probe the blast. Police said there were no suspects.
PayPal, which provides a platform for online payments, is a lucrative division of eBay, generating some $350 million in revenue for the online auction company in the latest quarter.