State College Area Walmart Stores Reopen After Bomb Threats

Days after a string of bomb threats were made in the Centre Region, both State College area Walmart stores received bomb threats on Sunday afternoon.

The threats were called in at about 4:45 p.m. to the stores at 373 Benner Pike in College Township and 1665 N. Atherton St. in Patton Township. Police responded to both and found no explosives. Both stores were open by 6 p.m.

On the afternoon of Aug. 22, bomb threats were received at the North Atherton Street Walmart and at Penn State’s Research West Building. A short time later a man walked into SPE Federal Credit Union on Science Park Road and demanded cash claiming he had a bomb in a duffel bag. After receiving cash, he fled, leaving behind the bag.

In all three cases, suspicious devices were discovered but found to be fakes with no explosive capability. Another bomb threat was made on Wednesday afternoon at the North Atherton Walmart and nothing was found. 

Investigations of those cases are ongoing.

On Sunday, no devices were found at either Walmart location. At the Benner Pike store, State College Police Lt. Chris Fishel said police with the assistance of a K-9 unit conducted a search of the store after it was evacuated.

‘At this point it’s a matter of following the evidence as far as the phone calls,’ Fishel said.

At the North Atherton Street store, staff and police on the scene declined comment and a manager referred a reporter to Walmart media relations.

Walmart spokesperson Laura Poff confirmed that the calls at both stores were received at the same time and that they appear to have been hoaxes.

She said the stores will work with police as they try to find the person or people responsible.

‘We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers,’ Poff added.