According to Nelson Police Chief Paul Burkart, the bomb threat called in to Chahko Mika Mall this morning was part of an 18-month series of scam calls being put into Walmarts all over the continent.
“From the information we received regarding the threat, we felt from the start it was going to be a false alarm,” he said, once the mall had been reopened at approximately 12:20 p.m.
The Star received a report of a bomb threat at approximately 11:30 a.m., after the mall had been emptied into the parking lot. Upon arriving at the scene, officers from the Nelson Police Department were already standing at the entrance to Walmart and turning people away.
Chief Paul Burkart spoke to staff before going inside for a sweep of the building.
“Walmart decided to evacuate the store, and then the rest of the mall evacuated as a precaution. In none of these other incidents was there ever a bomb located,” he said.
According to Burkart, the caller made demands before claiming there was a bomb on the premises. The culprits of these calls are being investigated by other agencies, he said.
