Keansburg, N.J., parades now in doubt due to recent discovery of suspicious device

The discovery of a suspicious device forced the cancellation of a New Jersey St. Patrick's Day Parade last weekend.

Keansburg Mayor George Hoff met with the parade committee Tuesday and said future parades are being tabled until authorities determine who was responsible.

Hoff, who has chaired the parade committee for two decades, shared photos of parade-goers packing the areas near the parade route.

"Our police chief advised us that a suspicious package had been found in this area, so out of precaution and safety for everyone, we had to cancel the parade," Hoff said.

He said he couldn't comment on the device itself because the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is now in charge of the investigation. All the office would say is the investigation is active and ongoing.

Keansburg residents surprised by reason for cancellation

Surveillance video shows participants gathering outside the Paper Bag Deli on Beachway Avenue in advance of the parade on Saturday.

But 30 minutes before the 1 p.m. start, deli owner Ashley Lozada and her customers were told the parade was shut down, prosecutors say, because of a suspicious device found near the parade route.

"People come from all over the place to see the parade," Lozada said. "Who would have thought that in [the] small town of Keansburg that something like this would have happened?"

Sara Alvarez's 11-year-old daughter was getting ready to cheerlead in the parade when the news came down.

"I was like, 'Don't move from me,'" Alvarez said. "We had no idea what was going on."

"I was disappointed because I really wanted to be there. I wanted to be with my friends," parade participant Raelynn Hynes said.

Status of Keansburg Memorial Day Parade

As for the possibility of the town's Memorial Day Parade getting canceled, Hoff said, "It all depends on how we go forward with how the investigation goes, if they are able to determine who did this [and] the motive behind it."

He said the $10,000 that was raised for the parade participants will go to them even if the event is canceled, and that he's grateful to police.

"It's a wake-up call not only us [but] for other towns moving forward to be vigilant, and make sure safety measures are put into place," Hoff said.