A Thursday shopping run at the Walmart on East Gulf To Lake Highway in Inverness turned into a full evacuation after a bomb threat sent customers and employees rushing outside while deputies locked the place down.
Patrol cars quickly ringed the parking lot as law enforcement kept people back and brought in explosive-detection teams to sweep the store and surrounding area. Shoppers were left waiting in the lot and nearby businesses while investigators worked through the call.
According to WTSP, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office confirmed deputies were responding to a bomb threat at the Inverness Walmart and urged the public to avoid the area so crews could focus on the investigation without extra traffic or onlookers getting in the way.
Where It Happened
The threat targeted the Walmart Supercenter at 2461 E Gulf To Lake Hwy in Inverness, according to the store's listing. The location and contact number are posted on Walmart's store page.
Investigators On Scene
WTSP reported that authorities had not immediately released details on whether any device was located or if anyone had been detained in connection with the threat.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office lists its non-emergency tip line as 352-249-2790 on the agency's website (Citrus County Sheriff's Office), and investigators are asking anyone with information about Thursday's call to reach out there.
Similar Recent Scares
This Inverness incident is part of a wider wave of phoned-in threats that have cleared out Walmart stores across Florida and the rest of the country in recent weeks. Hoodline has recently covered evacuations at locations on Coral Way in Miami and in Jacksonville's Baymeadows area that also brought in K-9 sweeps and led to temporary store closures (Coral Way, Baymeadows).
This story will be updated as officials release more information about the Inverness threat and the outcome of the search.
