A bomb threat targeting Star Transportation sent employees and shoppers out onto the sidewalks in Stewartville on Tuesday, as deputies cleared nearby businesses and briefly shut down roads while they searched for any sign of an explosive device. After a full sweep of the transportation company and adjacent stores with an explosives-detection K9, investigators found nothing suspicious and allowed traffic and business activity to resume.
What officials said
According to the Post Bulletin, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called out Tuesday afternoon after Star Transportation reported multiple suspicious phone calls claiming there was a bomb on the property. The sheriff’s office said standard safety precautions were followed, including evacuating surrounding businesses and closing nearby roads while investigators worked the scene.
Search and safety checks
An explosive-detection K9 helped officers check Star Transportation and neighboring storefronts, and the canine search turned up no suspicious items, KTTC reported. Deputies kept the block clear during the sweep and reopened the area after they were satisfied there was no active threat.
Businesses near the scene
The Star Transportation warehouse sits on 20th Street NE near a bank, a dollar store and a grocery store, which meant several storefronts on the block were evacuated as part of the response, WJON reported. Authorities said the business had received multiple calls saying a bomb was on the property, which triggered the precautionary shutdown of the surrounding area.
About Star Transportation
Federal carrier records show Star Transportation LLC is registered as a passenger carrier based at 103 20th Street NE in Stewartville, according to the FMCSA company record. Local coverage has described Star Transportation as a regional shuttle and limousine operator that relocated to the Stewartville facility several years ago, the Post Bulletin reported.
Statewide pattern and next steps
Deputies said investigators learned that similar prank or hoax calls had been made to other locations in Minnesota, suggesting the Stewartville threat was part of a broader wave of bogus reports, KTTC reported. The sheriff’s office has not identified a suspect and has asked anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
Officers ultimately cleared the scene and everyday routines snapped back into place, but the brief shutdown showed how a handful of phone calls can bring a small town’s business strip to a halt. For original reporting see WJON.
