Yesterday early morning, police responded to a disturbance at the historic Topsfield Fair after a bomb threat was reported. Massachusetts State Police acted quickly following reports of a person making threats against the fair. The incident began before 8 a.m. and led to a BOLO alert for an individual described as “emotionally disturbed,” as per CBS News.
The person of interest was located on the fairgrounds, and police took them into custody without incident. After the arrest, the suspect claimed there was a bomb in their vehicle, prompting officials to close Route 1 and call in the State Police Bomb Squad. The vehicle was later confirmed to be safe, and the road was reopened.
Topsfield Fair General Manager James O’Brien said in a statement to Boston 25 News that the fair was notified of a potential threat at around 7:20 a.m. Multiple agencies worked together to secure the area, and after a thorough inspection, the fairgrounds were cleared and reopened at 9:30 a.m.
According to CBS News, the incident occurred during the final day of the 207th Topsfield Fair, recognized as the oldest country fair in the United States. Police have not released the identity of the individual taken into custody.
