4 People Toss Bottle Bomb Onto Crowded Restaurant Patio In Sykesville

SYKESVILLE, Md. (WJZ) -- A bottle bomb is tossed from a moving car in Carroll County onto a restaurant patio where customers were dining.

Ron Matz reports on quick work by police and the state fire marshal, and the reaction along Main Street.

In Sykesville, there's shock at what happened on Main Street Wednesday night.

"Sounds like something that would happen somewhere else, not in Sykesville?" said Jeff Adams, Sykesville resident.

As diners relaxed outside, someone in a moving car threw a bottle bomb onto the patio at the popular E.W. Becks Restaurant.

Keith Watson is chef and co-owner.

"They threw apparently a plastic bottle with some sort of aluminum foil and some sort of acid or baking soda or something in and the bottle fell in. It was thrown from a vehicle. After awhile it kind of exploded, so nobody was really around," he said.

No one was hurt. Police call the device a soda bottle bomb. The big question is "why?"

"I have no idea. Kids getting out of school, it's the end of the school year I guess," said Jennifer Johnson.

Shortly after the incident, Sykesville Police arrested four suspects: a 22-year-old man and three male juveniles.

"Glad to hear they made arrests. This patio is down a little bit, the walls are high. I guess they were trying to bring it over for shock value. It's getting ridiculous. We don't need to do that kind of stuff," Watson said.

Becks has been providing good times in Sykesville for 25 years, welcoming diners inside and out.

"It's a nice restaurant. I can't see anybody being angry with the establishment. It's a great family," said Adams.

"With what's going on in the world, a bomb's a bad thing," Watson said.

Kirby Allen Shifflett, 22, faces a variety of charges, including assault and reckless endangerment. He's being held at the Carroll County Detention Center on $50,000 bond.

The three juveniles also face charges in connection with the incident.