Second Home Depot Evacuated After Bomb Scare
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TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — A Home Depot store on Long Island was evacuated for the second time this week after a report of a suspicious package sent police rushing to the scene and led customers and employees of an entire shopping plaza to vacate the area.
The second Home Depot, in Elmont, N.Y., was evacuated Wednesday after suspicious items were found inside a box from a jigsaw that a customer had returned.
“A customer came in and had purchased an item. The item wasn’t in the box, and when the employee opened [the returned item] there were other things in the box,” a Nassau County police department representative told ABC News.
The bomb squad investigated as the store was evacuated as a precaution. The items found were “not consistent with explosives,” Nassau County police said. Police said that the department is now in touch with its counterparts in other police precincts in the region, including New York City.
The incident follows a Monday bomb scare at a Home Depot in Huntington, New York, which was evacuated of 50 employees and customers.
Suffolk County Police were called to the Huntington store at 4:11 p.m. Monday after management discovered a suspicious package in the store.
At a press conference, Suffolk police said that there was a “communication” to the store regarding the device. WABC reported that a note was sent to the Home Depot store demanding $2 million in cash or else more pipe bombs would be left at other stores on “Black Friday,” November 23.
At a press conference Suffolk police said that they caused the device “to disrupt,” though the inspector handling the case later referred their response to as “damaging” it. Police said that after they rendered it safe, they collected and analyzed the evidence.
The FBI is now assisting in the Huntington investigation.
Home Depot spokesman Stephen Holmes responded to the incidents, saying that the company will fully assist with the investigation and that the chain works to have appropriate security for its stores.
“We are cooperating with authorities on their investigation. The safety of our customers and associates is certainly of the utmost importance to us,” Holmes said in a statement.
Suffolk county police said that they are not commenting on any leads or arrests made regarding the incident.
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