An evening bomb threat yesterday cleared out shoppers and employees from the Food Lion on Burkemont Avenue in Morganton, officials said. Emergency crews swept the grocery store and nearby businesses, then issued the all-clear so operations could resume. Authorities reported no injuries and said the investigation remains active.
According to WCCB Charlotte, the threat came in at about 6:45 p.m., prompting Food Lion management and neighboring storefronts to evacuate. After a search, no suspicious items were found and businesses reopened. The station reported that anyone with information is asked to contact Morganton Public Safety.
Public-safety response
The City of Morganton says its Public Safety division helped with evacuations and provided on-scene support, according to Morganton Public Safety. The department’s website lists a non-emergency phone number for tips and public inquiries. Officials at the scene said the situation was considered resolved once the area had been cleared.
Why authorities respond quickly
Officials treat every tip as potentially serious, in part because similar scares have already tied up emergency resources this year. In February, deputies investigated a false bomb report at a Morganton property that led to a multi-agency sweep and later resulted in an arrest, according to WSOC-TV. The county’s press release on that case notes that the SBI bomb squad and multiple local agencies assisted with the search, a reminder of why scenes are cleared and searched even when no device is ultimately located.
Legal note
Making a false report about a destructive device is a felony in North Carolina, and penalties can increase if first responders are injured while responding, under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-69.1. Local authorities frequently refer suspected hoax callers to prosecutors for possible charges.
Anyone with information about Tuesday’s call is asked to contact Morganton Public Safety or the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. We will update this post if officials release more details.
