According to the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety, the Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, has been evacuated due to a police incident. The evacuation occurred in response to an email received on Monday morning, which claimed that multiple bombs had been placed throughout the mall. This prompted the evacuation, and both fire and police units were called to the scene.
As a precaution, bomb-sniffing dogs will be conducting searches throughout the mall, and the facility will remain closed until the search is completed. Fire police are currently keeping people away from the area.
Officials suspect that this incident is part of a nationwide trend of ‘swatting incidents,’ which involve making false reports of emergency situations to prompt a police response.
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The Capital City Mall has issued a statement acknowledging the incident and indicating that they are cooperating with the police investigation. They have evacuated the property, following the guidance of the Lower Allen Township Police Department, and will notify tenants, employees, and guests when it is safe to re-enter the premises. The mall expressed gratitude for the patience of everyone involved and for the prompt response of the police in handling the situation.
“Today, September 18 at approximately 10:36 AM EST, Capital City Mall received a threat via the website. Per protocol, mall management contacted Lower Allen Township. The Police Department advised us to evacuate the property as soon as possible. As of 11:15 AM, the mall is secure, and the Police Department units are onsite investigating.
As the safety of the tenants and guests are of utmost concern, we are following the lead of the Police Department while they conduct their investigation and will notify tenants, employees, and guests when the premises are cleared for re-entry. We thank everyone for their patience and the Police Department for their prompt response in this matter.”
