Police Say Common Substances Were Found in Central Park Explosive Device

A man, center bottom, bleeds from his injured leg as he gets helped from paramedics, firemen, and police in Central Park in New York, Sunday, July 3, 2016. Police and emergency responders took the man on a stretcher from New York’s Central Park after people near the area reported hearing some kind of explosion. Fire officials say it happened shortly before 11 a.m., inside the park at 68th Street and Fifth Avenue. Authorities say the man suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

NEW YORK  — New York City police say they’ve uncovered traces of substances common in explosives in a device that detonated when a college student stepped on it in Central Park, resulting in the amputation of part of his leg.

Connor Golden, a University of Miami student from Fairfax, Virginia, was at the park July 3 with friends when he stepped on a rock covering the explosive. He lost his lower left leg and foot.

Investigators don’t believe the device was meant to intentionally hurt anyone.

Police said Thursday the substances found in the investigation are legally available in hardware stores and can be used with other products to develop homemade explosive devices. Investigators say they believe the explosive was made by someone experimenting with commercially available products.

It specifically was the homemade explosive TATP, law enforcement officials told CNN. The chemicals used to make the explosive were put in a shopping bag. The bag was pressure sensitive and was activated when Golden put his foot on it.

TATP has been used in terrorist attacks for decades, including last fall’s Paris attacks.

Golden had a second surgery “due to complications from what doctors describe as a local infection in the area of his wound,” and he’s still at Bellevue Hospital. Friends of Golden started a GoFundMe page last week.

Epoch Times contributed to this report, adding last three lines.