3 arrested after Central Lafourche bomb scare
December 1, 2015
Ruth Cross
December 2, 2015
Thibodaux’s police chief says an unfounded telephoned threat of a bomb at Walmart’s Canal Boulevard store Saturday was – like similar calls throughout the U.S. this past weekend-believed to be computer-generated.
Chief Bryan Zeringue said the incident remains under investigation and that Louisiana State Police as well as the FBI were made aware of details.
“We had a call come in to the police department, it appeared to be an automated call, at about 5:57 p.m.,” Zeringue said.
The call drew a quick police response, Zeringue
said, and help from several nearby sheriff’s offices, as well as state police.
Evacuation of the store went smoothly, said Zeringue, noting that shoppers were prevented from leaving with the store’s lot with their vehicles during an initial stage of the investigation. Bomb sniffing dogs were employed to check the lot as well as inside the store.
Shoppers and employees alike, Zeringue said, were cooperative and helpful, during a shutdown of store operations that lasted approximately two hours.
“I sure appreciated the cooperation,” Zeringue said. “Once the vehicles were checked people were able to leave. We didn’t have any problems at all, and people conducted themselves in a proper manner.”
The State Police Fusion Center in Baton Rouge, which analyzes intelligence information in regard to security issues, was apprised of details, Zeringue said. The FBI was also notified, specifically its terrorist strike force.
“That was after we learned this was occurring throughout the country and had hit some of the other states at the same time on Saturday,” Zeringue said.
Brian Nick, a Wal-mart spokesman, confirmed that such calls were received at various Wal-mart locations, in and out of Louisiana. Nick said such incidents are not unusual during peak shopping events, like Thanksgiving weekend.
“This year was no exception,” Nick said. “Some were the result of computer generated calls and some live people making the calls. We have grown to expect this activity. We don’t take them lightly and we work with law enforcement on the local and national level.”
Wal-mart’s own emergency response center is looking into the calls and monitored responses of stores to them, Nick said.
“We will continue to monitor to ensure safety and security,” said Nick, adding that the computer-generated calls are not new. “It is something that has been around a little while and allows people who are doing this to be disruptive, to disrupt more places at once. It is not limited to this year.”
Authorities respond to an unfounded bomb threat at Wal-Mart’s Canal Boulevard store in Thibodaux.
