Philly Bomb Victim ID'd; Was It A Hate Crime?

The victim of a bomb blast that went off when a man opened a manila envelope inside his Philadelphia apartment has been identified, as authorities scramble to figure out who is responsible.

James Alden, 60, of the 1800 block of Pine Street, opened the envelope at 4 a.m. on Tuesday when it exploded in his face, authorities say. Alden suffered burns to his face and hands and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Police said that the bomb was intended specifically for Alden. Alden routinely receives asthma medication in the mail and thought that's what was inside the envelope.

Alden lives with his 32-year-old partner, who was not injured in the blast. According to 6ABC, one of the suspects identified by police is someone "intimately known" to the pair.

The kitchen of the home was significantly damaged by the blast. Pine Street was shut down in the aftermath as police, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the FBI searched the area. Neighbors were evacuated.

“We don’t have a motive, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t track down every possible lead,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross told Newsworks.

Police are not discounting the possibility that the attack was a hate crime. Alden's home reportedly had a rainbow "Love Trumps Hate" sign in the window.

Patch file photo.