A New Year’s Day bomb threat that forced a Galesburg grocery store to evacuate and close for several hours Monday was determined to be a hoax.
According to a news release from the city of Galesburg, the Galesburg Police Department responded to a bomb threat at the Hy-Vee on National Boulevard late Monday morning. Upon arrival, it was found that a device was delivered to the store with a pallet of grapes. The device had duct tape and wires attached to it.
The store decided to evacuate out of an abundance of caution. The Peoria Bomb Squad responded to the store.
Upon examination, it was found there was no explosive device — only tape and wires surrounding grapes.
Agencies assisting the Galesburg Police Department were:
- Hy-Vee Asset Protection
- Knox County Sheriff’s Office
- Illinois Secretary of State Police bomb squad
- Peoria bomb squad
- FBI
An all-clear for the store was given at approximately 1:13 p.m. Monday.
While the event was determined to be a hoax, police note it was a serious crime that caused significant disruption to the store as well as public safety resources. Further investigation will be conducted to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
