Headless Body Found Near Evanston Middle School, Explosive Device Nearby

A headless body was found near an Evanston middle school early Tuesday--and a pipe bomb was found nearby.

According to NBC Chicago, Evanston residents living near Nichols Middle School at 800 Greenleaf St. heard an explosion around 4 a.m. They also smelled gun powder.

A man walking his dog a short time later discovered a decapitated body near the school, the Chicago Tribune reports.

He said his dog led him to the body of a shirtless man whose head was missing and whose legs were folded behind him. A shopping bag lay nearby, and there was a strong odor of what he thought was gunpowder.

"I thought my dog was chasing a rabbit, but when I got close it was a body without a head," he said. "There was a weird smell in the air. I wasn't expecting what I saw."

One neighbor who heard the explosion and called police told NBC Chicago that officers came to his house about three hours later and told him a man had committed suicide with a pipe bomb.

Nichols Middle School has been closed for the day as police continue their investigation, and police have destroyed the explosive device found on the scene.