DALTON, Ga. -- A bitter family dispute over property in north Georgia apparently erupted Friday when a 78-year-old man threw an explosive into a law firm that represented his son, causing a blast that killed the father and injured four people in the office.

The explosion blew out windows of the two-story, colonial-style house where attorneys worked, and some in the small blue-collar town of 30,000 felt vibrations from more than a block away.

Witnesses said the blast at about 10 a.m. Friday blew out the windows at McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle & Fordham Law Firm on West Crawford Street.

Police have identified the suspect in an explosion at a small-town law firm in northern Georgia Friday as 78-year-old Lloyd Cantrell.

Sam Sanders, an attorney at the firm, told Channel 2 that both father and son had mutual restraining orders against one another.

Sanders said Cantrell amassed several parcels of land in the area, and transferred property to his son in the 90's.

Authorities said Cantrell's son had grown fearful of him, though, and filed a lawsuit seeking to keep his dad off the property the son had been given, claiming the elder man stole tools, kicked down a door and was suicidal.

Sanders said the case had been moving slowly in the court system.

Authorities said it was too early to talk about a motive in the case, but the dispute between the father and son was well-documented in court records.

"Essentially, what we've got here is not an act of terrorism," said Scott Sweetow, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "It is a depraved individual, by all accounts, who decided to launch what ended up being a suicide attack."

"We do not know what kind of device it was," said Officer Bruce Frazier with the Dalton Police Department, referring to the explosive. He also said the device didn't appear to be large enough to damage surrounding buildings.

Police said a call came in about a disturbance and when the officer arrived, a man ran to the rear of the building, then an explosion occurred.

The officer was not injured. Four people other than the bomber were hurt.

Initially, witnesses said the suspect tried to ram his vehicle into the law firm.

Authorities said the bomber’s vehicle had containers of gasoline and propane.

Frazier said the GBI has finished removing explosive materials from the suspect's vehicle

Out of the four people injured, one person was flown to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, one person was admitted to Hamilton Medical Center and two people were treated and released.

"As I was exiting the post office I saw smoke coming up from the law firm and police officer told us to get back because it was a bomb," said one witness.

SLIDESHOW: Dalton Law Firm Explodes

Authorities said they also planned to search the bomber’s residence.

Police Chief Jason Parker and District Attorney Kermit McManus as well as Victim/Witness Assistance Staff and members of Georgia's State Crisis Response Team will be present with a team of crisis interviewers to talk with community members about Friday's events.

Community members, family members and friends of victims, law enforcement community members, first responders, as well as counselors and teachers are encouraged to attend.

As the situation unfolded Friday, City Park Elementary School, which is located across the street, was locked down. Police said the children were not in danger. The children were transferred to a local church.

Steve Williams, an attorney at the firm, told the local newspaper he was at the post office next door when he heard a loud explosion. He said he didn't know how many people were in the building at the time.

TEAM COVERAGE: Law Firm Bombed By 78-Year-Old Disgruntled Client

Police, fire and medical personnel were at the scene, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The GBI cleared the building just after 1:30 p.m. Friday and firefighters were then able to attack the fire. The fire came from a hot spot from the initial blast.

The eight-lawyer firm, founded in 1932, works out of a two-story, colonial-style house. Police cordoned off the block and shut down a post office near the law firm, which specializes in personal injury and wrongful death cases, according to its Web site.

Authorities turned the building where the bombing occurred back over to its owners Saturday. Members of the firm told Channel 2 they hope to reopen their office.