The Arnold Walmart was evacuated twice this morning (Feb. 22) after someone called 911 to make bomb threats against the store. Over the past two days, three bomb threats were made against the store at 2201 Michigan Ave., Arnold Police reported.
The first threatening call this morning was made at 1 a.m., and the person on the phone said the bomb was set to go off in five minutes. Only employees were in the store at that time, and they were evacuated while dogs trained to detected explosives were brought in from the St. Louis County, Creve Coeur and St. Charles Police Departments to search the store, the report said.
Arnold Police dogs are only trained to detect narcotics after the department recently retired its one bomb-sniffing dog, Detective Lt. Jason Valentine said.
No explosives were found, and employees returned to work at about 5:30 a.m., Arnold Police reported.
However, Walmart had to be evacuated again when 911 received another call at about 6 a.m. and the person calling said there was a bomb in the store. Unlike the 1 a.m. call, the caller did not say the bomb was about to detonate, and the caller hung up when the dispatcher asked for the person’s name, the report said.
Walmart, which typically opens at 6 a.m., was searched again, and no explosives were detected. The store was able to reopen at about 10 a.m., according to the report.
On Monday (Feb. 21), the store was closed from about 3-8 a.m. after someone called the store with a bomb threat, but no explosives were found in the building, Cpl. Brett Ackermann said.
Valentine said unlike the call on Monday, which came from a blocked number, the calls this morning showed a phone number, and investigators are following leads that may help them identify a suspect.
He also said St. Louis County Police said similar bomb threats were made Dec. 28 against the Walmart at 3270 Telegraph Road. Threats also recently were made against Walmart stores in Kirkwood.
It is not clear if those threats are connected to the three made against the Arnold Walmart, Valentine said.
He said Arnold Police will increase its patrols at the business today, but investigators do not believe anyone is in danger.