A quiet stretch of Whiskey Creek turned into a heavily guarded perimeter on Tuesday after the Lee County Sheriff's Office began investigating a suspicious package on Tredegar Drive. At least five deputies converged on the scene, a drone buzzed overhead, and bomb-squad deputies were spotted suiting up as both Tredegar Drive and Brandy Circle were blocked off to traffic.
The sheriff's office confirmed it was investigating the suspicious package on Tredegar Drive, according to Gulf Coast News and Weather, which was on scene as the response unfolded. A robot was also deployed to the area, joining the drone in surveying the scene from a distance while deputies kept watch from behind the roadblocks.
Reporters with the outlet said they heard a sound that resembled an explosion during the investigation, though it remains unclear what caused the noise or whether it was connected to the package itself. The package was opened and found empty, and the sheriff's office said it would clear the area.
How Lee County Has Handled Similar Scares
Suspicious-package calls are not new territory for the Lee County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad, which has been dispatched to other scenes across the region in recent memory. The bomb squad investigated a suspicious package at the Estero post office, and the outcome in that case offered a reminder that these scenes don't always end in disaster — the scene was cleared and the package contained nothing, according to WINK News.
A similar scare played out at Florida Gulf Coast University, where the entrance to South Village freshman housing was closed after a suspicious package was reported at the University Village shops, per a report from gulfcoastnewsnow.com. That scene was eventually declared all clear once law enforcement completed its investigation, the university said in the same report.
A Pattern Seen Beyond Lee County
The scenario has echoed elsewhere in Florida too. In Gainesville, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad cleared a suspicious package found near Master's Lawn Care in the 18000 block of NW 59th Terrace, according to Main Street Daily News. That package turned out to be a cooler filled with motor oil and sealed shut with duct tape, and it was ultimately deemed safe, the outlet reported.
The roadway near that Gainesville incident was closed for the duration of the investigation, mirroring the kind of street closures now in place around Tredegar Drive and Brandy Circle. The Whiskey Creek package was opened and found empty; whether it posed any hazard remains unclear, and Tredegar Drive and Brandy Circle had reopened.
