Labor Day parade with New Jersey governor canceled after "destructive devices" found near route
A New Jersey man was charged Monday after destructive devices were found near the route for a Labor Day parade that the state's governor planned to attend in South Plainfield. The parade and other holiday activities were canceled just hours before they were set to start.
Thomas Kaiser, 55, was arrested and charged with possession of a destructive device for an unlawful purpose, authorities said.
The event was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and Governor Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy were going to march in it. There was also supposed to be a fireworks show and a 5K race.
But soon after 7 a.m., the borough of South Plainfield announced that all events were canceled due to a "security concern."
Authorities later said that a suspicious package with a "destructive device" was left at a bar along the Jersey Shore. Kaiser's younger brother told CBS New York that Kaiser had brought a homemade firework to the bar.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said that an investigation turned up "other destructive devices" near Kaiser's home, which is in the vicinity of the start of the parade route.
A source in the governor's office told NJ.com that Murphy was not a target or in danger, and that the pipe bomb-like devices were not powerful enough to kill anyone. Murphy was set to appear at another parade in Rutherford in the afternoon, but it was canceled due to rain.
