The Walmart store at 174 Cypress Point Parkway in Palm Coast was evacuated of customers and employees this afternoon after it was the target of a bomb threat called in around 4:40 p.m.
All customers were asked to get in their cars and leave the premises. The parking lot took a while to empty as Flagler County Sheriff’s K-9 units were sweeping the store’s grounds. The threat is not believed to be credible, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The threat was called into the Walmart pharmacy a little after 4:15 p.m. by a man who claimed he’d left a bomb in a bathroom. The call led to a significant response by the Sheriff’s Office. Walmart, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said, requires stores targeted by bomb threats to be entirely evacuated.
By 5 p.m., various areas of the store had been swept by authorities, with nothing found. The overwhelming majority of bomb threats prove to be hoaxes, as has been the case with a spate of recent bomb threats called in to local schools–threats with the same source. Matanzas High School was the target of two such threats this year, but neither time was the caller apprehended or identified.
Today’s caller, whose number was recorded, may be associated with other such threats in the region and elsewhere. A Walmart in Franklin County, Pa., was evacuated on March 26 because of a bomb threat that proved to be a hoax. Another Pennsylvania Walmart was evacuated for the same reason in February.
Hoaxes, however, are costly in resources deployed and can be risky, with a high concentration of law enforcement on high alert heightening the risk of accidents or injuries. They are also costly to businesses forced to close and lose a portion of the day’s sales.
jeffery c. seib says
Sadly, this is apparently the new normal for us all. Day after day all of America is in the grip of a crisis that threatens our very existence as the symbol of a free and open society. All the folks so obviously living in some sort of distorted world where they feel that somehow harming others is the natural thing to do. What is the motivation behind this? Some type of bravado that an individual, who must feel so marginalized by society, by everything, that they see these types of behavior, this today in our community and the terrible, tragedies we witness in other communities, as their way of sending a message of their complete disenfranchisement with all that we have.
Fred Zilco says
The northeast village idiots need to stay back home. Gramma does and leaves a house, but the only family that shows up here are transients with nothing going for them back home. Please learn how to Florida, or stay where you’re from. This town is full of strange birds.
Bartholomew says
To evacuate they got in their cars and left? It took awhile for it to empty? I bet it did. FCSO might want to think about how to assist with that. Ya know a school can evacuate in 5 minutes. Glad no one was hurt
Geezer says
Fred,
Do you really think that Cheerios are donut seeds?
Deborah Coffey says
Please learn “how to Florida?” Who would want to? We’ve got plenty of village idiots right here who’ve got nothing going for them. The northeast is not the problem.
me says
Unbelievable out look and so incorrect.
Bill C. says
There are as many native born Floridians who are “strange birds” as their are anywhere else in America, so save your rant, it has nothing to do with the story. People sitting at home calling in a bomb threat is sick and perverted and, unfortunately a side effect of the society we have created.
Y. says
All these so called “humans” that have nothing to do, except to panic the community should be tracked down, someway, somehow, and once captured, locked up for the rest of their lives. That way they will stop their stupidity and nonsense and may actually use their stupid time for “some behind bar entertainment” once they are locked up in their cage (Green Roof In).
Saddenedbyitall says
As Sgt. Yemana on Barney Miller used to say: “Very well put”.
Wall Smart says
Will take more than an “all clear” from the bomb squad to entice me to navigate that parking lot ever again
Lizbeth Alberts says
I fully agree with you. I don’t like to go out unless it’s in the morning to the grocery store, I go to the ATM drive through, I check around the vehicle before I get in it. Lock my doors as soon as I get in. It’s terrible to walk around one drink what’s going to happen next. I’ve lived in Palm Coast 25 years, and it has grown and leaps and bounds. And I feel so sorry for our men and women that protect us because they really have their hands full now in this beautiful city of Palm coast. They say it’s the retirement capital of the city of the state one of them. I just wish like you said the weirdos would go and visit Daytona and stay there. Stay away from Palm Coast and even St Augustine please. We don’t need that here. Every day I noticed there’s at least one set of sirens it’s become the norm here now. And then you look and you read this is shocking. It scares people to where they don’t want to go to Walmart anymore. It scares you to where you don’t want to go anywhere anymore. Much less alone. A lot of times my youngest son who’s 30 years old will say Mom I’m coming with you and I’ll say why I’m coming with you. So it’s just I don’t go out at night. And I live in a beautiful area. It just is so scary you don’t know what’s going to happen next. And like I said I feel bad but I commend them the police officers, the fireman, the emts, paramedics. They put their lives on the line every day. God bless them for serving us and for helping save us. There needs to be a hiring of more please.
Steve Kalabokes says
I will not let thugs and nuts to determine my social habits. If we stop going where we want to go, they win. I will continue to do what I want when I want without fear. Again, we cannot allow these maggots to run our lives.
Mary Fusco says
Want to see a village idiot, look in the mirror. I am a supposed village idiot fro the northeast. If you don’t think that Florida has its abundant share of village idiots, you are delusional. My daughter is a home health nurse working in JAX. When she arrived at a patient’s home, she was greeted with “I didn’t know they were sending a Yankee. She immediately said “would you like another nurse to be sent out”? Patient answered with yes and tell them not to send a N. That is a village idiot. I would rather not learn how to Florida. Bless your heart. You and I both know that phrase has several meanings. Take your pick. Have a nice day!