A Layton grocery store became the center of a serious police investigation on Monday following reports of a bomb threat, which later turned out to be a hoax. The Smith's, located at 1170 E. Gentile Street, were swiftly evacuated when the threat surfaced, a precautionary measure confirmed by FOX13. The police received the alarm around 7:40 p.m., and the Layton City Police Department reacted immediately to ensure public safety.
According to ABC4, the chain of events was triggered by someone outside the Smith's informing another person about the alleged bomb inside, prompting them to alert the authorities; consequently, customers and employees left the building quickly, out of an abundance of caution while the police combed through the store searching for potential threats in what became a delicate situation that could have been, and thankfully wasn’t, much more dire. Lieutenant Clint Bobrowski with Layton Police briefed the media on the incident, highlighting that the immediate priority was the protection of the people in and around the store.
After an extensive search by the police, it was confirmed that the store was safe and no explosives were found on the premises. KUTV reported that Bobrowski expressed pride in how the community conducted itself during the incident: "I'm very proud of the way our community handled this tonight, I'm very appreciative," said Bobrowski. The customers and staff were commended for their calm and swift evacuation, which gave the officers space to effectively clear the area.
