Device Explodes Outside State Attorney General’s Office
A suspected explosive device detonated outside the office of the attorney general of Alabama. The potential attack occurred during an ongoing debate regarding whether or not in vitro embryos should be legally considered humans.
The device was discovered Saturday outside of the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R). Marshall said on Monday that the explosion caused no injuries. The attorney general said that the device exploded outside of his Montgomery office.
He said that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency would lead the investigation into the incident and called upon the public to contact the police if they have any information.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the device was discovered around 8:19 a.m. following a report of a “suspicious package” near the office.
The device had reportedly detonated on Saturday and was discovered on Monday. Law enforcement said that there was no damage to nearby buildings and that the “investigation is ongoing.”
A spokesperson for Marshall’s office said that there was no evidence at this point that the device was tied to the new in vitro fertilization debate and that the media should “not jump to conclusions about a specific issue.”
Update on the explosive device outside the office of Alabama's attorney general pic.twitter.com/UQPWpBfnFL
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Marshall said last week that he did not seek to prosecute anyone for utilizing in vitro fertilization.
The explosion occurred during the ongoing debate regarding whether or not frozen embryos would be considered unborn children.
The Alabama Supreme Court stated in a ruling that such embryos would be considered unborn children and anyone who destroyed the embryos could be held criminally responsible.
“This Court has long held that unborn children are ‘children’ for purposes of Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, a statute that allows parents of a deceased child to recover punitive damages for their child’s death,” the court ruled.
The ruling has caused a complex reaction from both sides of the aisle, including a number of allies of former President Donald Trump defending in vitro fertilization.
Democrats in Congress have used the ruling as a means to criticize Republicans, which has quickly taken hold in a number of national media reports.
Within Alabama, three IVF clinics have stopped their services.
