SS Walmart briefly evacuated due to bomb threat

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  • Walmart employees regroup after the store was evacuated just after noon Tuesday due to an anonymous bomb threat. The store was reopened at approximately 12:50 p.m. after police, fire and store personnel cleared the building.
    Walmart employees regroup after the store was evacuated just after noon Tuesday due to an anonymous bomb threat. The store was reopened at approximately 12:50 p.m. after police, fire and store personnel cleared the building.
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The Sulphur Springs Walmart Supercenter was briefly evacuated Tuesday afternoon after receiving an anonymous telephone call notifying the store of a reported bomb threat.

According to store management, the alleged incident occurred near the lawn and garden department.

Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson told the News-Telegram the call came in just after 12 p.m.

“The entire store was evacuated—precautionary measures,” Ricketson said. “A little after lunch, they received an anonymous phone call about a bomb threat inside the building. So police, fire personnel, everybody responded. The building was evacuated for safety concerns. Officers, along with Walmart employees, closed the area, checked the store and didn't find anything suspicious or out of place and the store was reopened.”

The building was cleared at approximately 12:50 p.m., and customers were allowed back inside. No injuries were reported during the evacuation. Ricketson described it as “a calm, peaceful evacuation. It's Walmart—there's lots of people there, right there at lunchtime.”

“We had lots of personnel there, which made it easy to clear the store,” Ricketson said.

Walmart's corporate media relations department could not be reached for comment.