Two bags left in front of the Richard Bolling Federal Building caused road closures in downtown Kansas City.
At 6:10 a.m., officers were called to the building, near the 600 block of East 12th Street. When officers arrived, they found the backpacks and closed off the area. The Department of Homeland Security and KCPD Bomb and Arson units responded as well.
Authorities blew the bags up as a safety precaution.
"Sometimes if there is something inside a bag we can't immediately identify then we will just do a controlled explosion," Stacey Graves, KCPD spokeswoman, said.
About 2,800 people work in the Bolling building. Crews closed off the area so they could safely detonate the bags around 9 a.m.
"It looks like they've got it covered. There are a bunch of cops here, ambulance and everything else… I think they got it covered," said Stephen Johnson, who was on his way to the courthouse.
Detectives are still working to find out who put the bags there and why, although it could've been accidental. They tell us only personal items were inside.
