Police lift shelter in place after bomb threat found unsubstantiated at grocery store
Dec 23, 2024
DENVER (KDVR) — Aurora police responded to a shopping center near South Peoria Street and East Cornell Avenue on Monday evening for a reported bomb threat that was found to be unsubstantiated.
The Aurora Police Department's bomb unit was on scene to investigate a bomb threat reported inside the King Soopers store located in the shopping center. Police issued a shelter-in-place order for residents from Cornell Avenue to East Dartmouth Avenue and from Peoria Street to Interstate 25, which was lifted at about 6:30 p.m.
During the investigation, the intersection was closed to traffic. Motorists in the area were asked to use Yale Avenue as an alternate east-west route and Havana Street as an alternate north-south route.
An individual in the area told FOX31's Shaul Turner that they arrived at the store at 3:40 p.m. and by that time the store was being evacuated. Police told Turner that a tip had been called in citing five bombs in the store's parking lot, but nothing was found Monday evening.
One King Soopers shopper told Turner she arrived at the store as the evacuations were occurring.
“I was told that they're evacuating the store so I wanted to take my car to leave,” she said.
Shoppers were temporarily unable to remove cars from the blocked-off lot due to safety concerns and the shelter-in-place order.
Those affected told Turner they were relieved to learn no bombs were found but felt a sense of sadness that this happened so close to the holidays.
“People are really getting out of hand around here, it’s a bomb threat I mean, this is my King Soopers,” said one resident. “It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.”
SkyFOX captured footage of a person near the entrance of King Soopers while wearing body armor after a bomb threat response (Credit: KDVR)
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There were several stores in the area impacted by the shelter-in-place, including the King Soopers. An apartment complex was also under the order.
SkyFOX captured video of a person in body armor working with the Aurora Police Department near the entrance of the King Soopers around 5:22 p.m. The person was seen searching several trash cans in front of the store.