An anonymous bomb threat caused Fort Myers Police and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to evacuate of an entire shopping plaza, leaving the usually bustling Walmart at the corner of Colonial Boulevard and Six Mile Cypress empty.
An investigation is underway as employees returned to work hours after the threat was cleared. Police vehicles could be seen patrolling the parking lot, maintaining a presence after the threat was cleared the night before.
The threat prompted a swift response from authorities, who evacuated the store and blocked off the parking lot. A helicopter and police K-9 units were deployed as the threat unfolded, leaving shoppers in nearby lots curious about the heavy police presence.
“My mom turned towards me and goes, ‘there’s an active bomb alert over at the Walmart’. We shop there often,” said Jace Feliciano, a Walmart shopper. “I was like, oh, wow, this is really happening.”
Feliciano was surprised over the large police presence blocking off the Walmart parking lot.
“First thing I noticed was I saw a drone overhead, and then I saw the EMS on this side. But I thought it was, it’s crazy ’cause there’s always this stuff happening, but never realized how close it was.”
Aliyah Bell, a customer at a nearby Chili’s, said the area is not usually so sketchy.
“I was heading to TJ Maxx over here, and I’m just seeing a bunch of cops, a bunch of people outside. I was like, ‘What’s going on?'”
The investigation continues as authorities work to determine who placed the anonymous threat.