24-Year-Old Man Killed Trying to Blow Up ATM Machine in Philadelphia

A 24-year-old man was killed in Philadelphia attempting to blow up an ATM, police have said.

The city was rocked by several detonations on Monday night, as a number of cash machines were destroyed by explosives.

Like almost every big city across the US, Philly saw peaceful protests and violent clashes with authorities, with looters taking advantage overnight, as fury at the death of George Floyd while in police custody continued to boil over into a second week.

At least ten such explosions were reported in the city overnight; at least one of them fatal, according to Fox29.

The incident occurred around 6am Tuesday morning outside Sidekicks Sports Bar on North Second Street and West Susquehanna Avenue.

Photos from the scene show the screen smashed and keyboard mangled, but the safe at the bottom apparently intact.

According to police, the man was attempting to use explosives when they detonated while he was in close proximity; he was critically wounded at the scene and pronounced dead at hospital a short time later.

Investigators found live explosives at the scene, including two M-80 fireworks, according to WPVI.

Police said thieves were targeting ATMs at convenience stores and mini-marts, rather than the more heavily protected kind affiliated with banks.

In some cases, looters broke into stores and took the entire cash machine, loading them into vehicles before making their escape.

Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at tips@toofab.com.