A bomb threat in Peoria, Illinois, on Friday evening, at an ethanol plant, prompted a large evacuation of the area around the facility — and police have confirmed finding a suspicious package, although the initial threat would appear to have been dealt with. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the Illinois State Police to assist in the investigation, and the local FBI is also working with state and local authorities.
There is still a search of the facility underway as of this writing.
Police in Peoria, Illinois, are investigating a "credible" bomb threat at a local plant and are urging anyone who lives or works within a one-mile radius of the facility to evacuate immediately.
The Peoria Police Department said the evacuation recommendation was issued as a precaution while officers and emergency personnel investigated the threat at BioUrja Renewables.
Police determined at about 6:45 p.m. local time Friday that a package at the facility was a credible threat and established a one-mile blast radius, officials said.
Bomb technicians rendered the package safe at about 9:12 p.m. local time, according to police.
However, authorities said a thorough search of the large facility was expected to continue into Saturday, likely until late afternoon. Officials said they were not treating the incident as a hoax.
A one-mile blast radius would indicate a pretty powerful device indeed, although as yet there hasn't been any information released on the contents of the package found in the initial search or how powerful any explosives would have been.
A local source, Peoria's 25News, has more:
Ryan Presley, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Springfield office, declined to provide details, but pledged that investigators will work “tirelessly” to find whoever is responsible and “bring them to justice.”
About two hours earlier, Peoria Mayor Rita Ali addressed reporters at Manual Academy on South Griswold Street, which is being used as an evacuation shelter. She was the first to confirm a bomb was found.
“A device has been identified. We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb,” Ali said. The mayor cautioned that “we don’t know if there are other devices.”
That would appear to be a confirmation that there was an actual explosive in the initial package, although, as noted, there are no details yet about the device itself. A one-mile blast radius would seem to mean that whatever was found wasn't just a firecracker; this was a powerful explosive, not something easily cobbled together. It's unclear why an ethanol plant was targeted; there hasn't yet been any statement from any individual or group claiming responsibility for the threat.
The facility is a branch of BioUrja Renewables, an international corporation producing ethanol and other biofuels for markets in North America and Asia.
In another twist, a country music performer's concert, scheduled for last night, was cancelled due to the bomb scare. Singer Jon Pardi apologized to his fans on his Instagram account, noting that the safety of the fans was the first priority. He didn't make any statement about rescheduling the concert.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned.
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