Explosions Rock Nerves Of Witnesses Those Touched By Bombings Feeling Unsettled

Rae Ann Toole gazed across the street at the yellow crime tape circling the U.S. Bank branch at Sprague and Mullan that had been robbed and bombed the day before. She wondered if the business she worked at would be next.

Customers who walked through the doors of several businesses near the bank also had questions. They wondered what was going on and who was responsible.

“There were a lot of questions,” said Jennifer Keister, manager of the Mailbox Center, which is just across Mullan from the bank.

Employees at U.S. Bank and The Spokesman-Review’s Valley office, which also was rocked by an bomb Monday afternoon, had questions of their own. Counselors were called in Tuesday to help them cope with the ordeal.

“Unfortunately, robberies are going to occur in our business,” said Steve Matsko, U.S. Bank’s Eastern Washington region manager. “But the violence involved with this one is much more frightening.”

The U.S. Bank bank branch at 9208 E. Sprague remained closed a day after masked men waving guns stormed into the lobby, robbed it and detonated a bomb inside. Law enforcement officers still were sifting through debris gathering evidence the next day.

A bomb exploded in a back stairwell outside The Spokesman-Review’s Valley office, 13208 E. Sprague, 11 minutes before the bank robbery. Authorities believe the bombing of the newspaper office was a diversion for the bank robbery.

No one was injured in either explosion and damage to both buildings was minimal. However, the explosions were enough to set employees at both businesses and neighboring businesses on edge.

“It made me a little nervous,” said Toole, who works as a cashier at the HiCO Village Gas and Grocery. “How long’s it going to be before it happens to us?”

Matsko said he hopes to reopen the bank branch by the end of the week. The explosion damaged three teller stations and scattered debris through the bank’s lobby.

Most of the 11 employees inside the bank when it was robbed talked to counselors Tuesday and seemed in relatively good spirits, he said.

“The emotions across our entire bank have been one of relief,” Matsko said. “We are grateful our employees escaped harm.”

Meanwhile, at The Spokesman-Review’s Valley office, employees returned to work Tuesday among the periodic pounding of construction workers. Two doors were damaged and two windows were blown out in the basement of the building.

Several newspaper employees winced each time an open door flapped shut in the breeze. About a dozen participated in a voluntary counseling session.

“There are obviously some unsettled nerves,” said Greg Bever, Valley operations manager for the newspaper. “They are understandably having to deal with a situation they are uncomfortable with.”

By mid-morning, a steady flow of customers was coming into the newspaper office. Several showed their support for employees and others had questions, Bever said.

Outside, workers repaired the windows and doors. News media gathered when workers took the rippled and torn door that absorbed most of the blast off its hinges and replaced it with a new one.

A Spokesman-Review employee who works in the circulation department and discovered the bomb the day before was back at his desk a few feet from the blast site.

Pieces of glass were scattered against the wall behind his desk, but he had an upbeat attitude about returning to work.

“If you worry about (the bombing), then you’re not going to be able to enjoy life,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, CONCERNS ON BOMBINGS What’s your reaction to Monday’s bombings in the Valley? Are you angry? Upset? A bit frightened? The Monday blasts did more than damage a U.S. Bank branch lobby and The Spokesman-Review’s Valley office. The explosions also raised new concerns among some Valley residents about security and personal safety in a violent time. Part of coping with traumatic events is sharing personal thoughts and concerns. Whether you are a longtime Valley resident or a newcomer, we would like to share your reactions to the bombings. Please take a moment today to call Cityline at 458-8800, Ext. 9666, and record your comment. (Touchtone phones only.)