Dalton: No other suspects in bombing

DALTON, Ga. — Dalton Police Chief Jason Parker told residents Sunday he doubts anyone else was involved in the Friday morning bombing of a local law firm that killed the bombing suspect and injured four others.

“We feel like the community is safe; we don’t feel like there are any more suspects out there,” Chief Parker said.

Chief Parker said Lloyd Sylvester Cantrell, 78, rammed an SUV into the front of the building before running around the back of the building, bursting out a window and placing a metal explosive device the size of a five-gallon bucket inside, where it exploded.

Following a community meeting Sunday afternoon at Dalton High School, Steve Williams, an attorney at the law office of McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle and Fordham, said he and others were still trying to sort out what had happened.

“It was a freakish, random act,” Mr. Williams said.

Lloyd Cantrell had been in an ongoing property dispute with his son Bruce Cantrell, and Sam Sanders, an attorney at the firm, represented the son in the dispute.

Mr. Williams said he was not involved in the case but knew Lloyd Cantrell. He said he’s seen property disputes become emotional in other cases, but not to this degree.

“In my 31 years of practice, I have learned that nothing seems to bring out emotions of people more than arguments over land,” he said.

Neighbors and acquaintances of Lloyd Cantrell said he often was bullheaded and confrontational, especially with authority figures. Mr. Sanders said Lloyd Cantrell previously had threatened Bruce Cantrell and for the last year there was a restraining order to prevent the elder Mr. Cantrell from coming onto his son’s property.

The law firm, boarded up Saturday, may not be safe to renovate, but Mr. Williams said his wish is to rebuild on the same site.

“We’ll rebuild. I’ll not be run off,” he said. “I think that makes a statement.”

Sunday morning at First United Methodist Church of Dalton there were a few empty seats in the choir. One of those seats belongs to Jim Phillips, a partner at the firm and the most severely injured in the bombing. The 79-year-old man has second- and third-degree burns over his arms and legs and already has undergone skin grafts at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga., according to family members.

Two others injured in the attack were released Friday, one of whom was Teresea Stinnett, an employee of the law firm. A third victim was admitted to Hamilton Medical Center. The admitted patient and the other victim were not identified by Dalton police.

Associate pastor Billy Beard shared news of Mr. Phillips, saying his spirits were high in the middle of the crisis.

“Friday morning, laying in the ER he said, ‘Make sure to tell Peter that I won’t be there to sing on Sunday,’” Mr. Beard said.

Later at Dalton High School, Gale Buckner, chairwoman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, was on hand Sunday to talk about the state victim compensation program and counseling services.

“Tomorrow will be Monday and many people will be trying to get back into their regular lives,” Ms. Buckner said. “It’s only been 48 hours; often that’s hard to process. If it takes two weeks, three months that they need before they talk with someone, they’ll know the resources and ways to make those contacts.”

Coordinators with victims services and other state agencies were on hand to help about 20 people who came to the conference Sunday.

Ms. Buckner said it’s common for people to brush aside feelings if they were not directly involved in the disaster, but that can be dangerous.

“Just the fact that it has impacted this community and permeated our community, that sense of security has been damaged to some degree,” she said.

Mr. Williams and others from the law firm planned to meet Sunday evening to discuss the next steps for the firm. Dalton officials have offered a floor in City Hall for their use.

“I believe it’s going to be a long time before folks come to grips with this,” Mr. Williams said.