Two vehicles that were damaged by an improvised explosive device (IED) are undergoing analysis at Barrie Police Headquarters.
The explosion happened in a white SUV parked in the parking lot at 108A Anne Street near Edgehill Drive just before 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Police said a second vehicle parked next to it was also damaged.
In a nearby garden, investigators also found a homemade explosive device about 10 to 12 feet from the SUV, according to Peter Leon, Barrie police corporate communications coordinator.
The device was detonated by the Barrie Police bomb squad.
Nobody was injured.
Police have not made any arrests.
Pictures of the SUV show a hole in the vehicle where the gas tank is located.
"It would appear as if it (IED) was placed in and around that area," said Leon. "Certainly with a gas tank and an explosive device there is the potential for something significant to take place."
Windows on the SUV appear to have been shattered or blown out.
The window on the passenger side of the car next to it is gone.
Leon was unable to disclose if the SUV belongs to someone who lives in the apartment complex or someone who was visiting at the time, or if it was stolen, or whether the SUV was specifically targeted.
"I can't get right into any of the specifics right now. But suffice to say, that will certainly serve as a starting point for the investigation and they'll build up from there."
Investigators were also in the parking lot of the complex gathering evidence.
The early morning blast forced the evacuation of residents in the building whose units front the parking lot, while people living in the area were asked to shelter in place.
Anyone with information that may assist police or anyone who may have dash camera video and was travelling in the Anne Street and Edgehill Drive area at the time of the incident is asked to call Barrie Police at 705-725-7025.
Images - Michael Chorney - At the Scene Photography
