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Shirley police investigating 5 reports of mailbox, firecracker explosions

SHIRLEY, Mass. — Shirley police are investigating five reports of explosions that detonated on people's property on Friday. Homeowners tell Boston 25 News that three mailboxes blew up overnight, in some cases, catching fire, while one explosive detonated inside the hood of a car.

The first call came in around 11:02 p.m. Police say fireworks were detonated in a trash bin on Horse Pond Road, mailboxes exploded on Lawton Road and Myles Lane, residents on Clark Road found firework powder in their mailbox, and firecracker remnants were found on a car windshield on Walker Road.

Destroying a mailbox is a federal offense.

Police are reviewing surveillance of a "dark-colored vehicle." They say they haven't seen anything like this before, and they have no suspects.

A house on Lawton Road captured video of a car pulling up to a mailbox, someone puts something inside, and then a light and spark. As the car pulls away, two explosions set off.

Related: Officers catch woman as she leaps out of burning Stoneham home

The homeowner who says he heard the noise was in disbelief when he watched the video.

"Anybody that has that kind of – whatever it was, a firecracker or an m-80 – that's pretty dangerous to be carrying around and it could hurt someone," says Andy Burns, whose mailbox blew up. "That's what I thought about it. I mean it's not the first time our mailbox has been damaged, but it's the first time it’s been damaged that way."

Nick Lunardo's mailbox was also blown up. He said it was the middle of the night when he heard a loud boom.

"I went out to check the mail and I saw the mailbox was gone, it was on the sidewalk," says George Lunardo. "The police came and talked to my wife and said someone's been blowing up mailboxes, and we're the next victim."

A woman alerted police after she says something exploded in the hood of her car, shattering her windshield.

This is a developing story and please check back for updates.