Bomb threat at Bingham Memorial Hospital was ‘an unsubstantiated or spoof call’
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UPDATE
BLACKFOOT – Authorities say a bomb threat at Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot Tuesday was fake.
Officers responded at 2:10 p.m., according to a news release from the Blackfoot Police Department.
Hospital staff were evacuated out of an abundance of caution and the building went into lockdown while law enforcement investigated. After a complete sweep of the building, police determined it was most likely “an unsubstantiated or spoof call.”
“No suspicious items were located during the sweep and no further threats were found. A short time later, a suspect was identified and contacted by law enforcement. It was learned there were no further threats in the area,” the news release says.
The suspect’s identity was not released.
Similar phone calls were made to other hospitals in the area. The Blackfoot Police Department is working with other agencies on a criminal investigation.
Information about the suspect and the investigation will be released at a later date.
Meanwhile, the department is grateful to the hospital’s cooperation, and everyone who assisted in the response, including the Idaho Falls Police Department, Bingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Shelley Police Department.
ORIGINAL STORY:
BLACKFOOT – Authorities are investigating a bomb threat at Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot.
Hospital spokesman Mark Baker confirms the investigation is underway. People with knowledge of the situation tell EastIdahoNews.com the building is in lockdown, as of 2:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Administrators are working with law enforcement to determine whether the threat is legitimate.
Details are sparse right now while the investigation is happening.
EastIdahoNews.com will provide updates as soon as they are available.