UPDATE: Bomb Scare At Wal-Mart In Joliet Turns Out To Be Utility Worker’s Bag
UPDATE: WJOL has received an update from the Joliet Police Department saying that the initial information that the employee belong to JULIE was incorrect and that the individual was in fact an employee of a utility company that would then report back To Julie. WJOL has modified that story has been corrected to reflect that change
At approximately 08:32 this morning, employees at Walmart located at 1401 Rt. 59 observed a suspicious package near the north side of the building by the auto care center. There was a black backpack that had several wires coming out of it wrapped around a gas main. Officers immediately began evacuating the building and the parking lot. The Cook County bomb squad was then notified.
While on scene, Officers were approached by a person who worked for a utility company asking why the area was being blocked off. Officers then confirmed that the backpack belonged to the worker and he was marking the area for gas lines for future development. The worker stated he couldn’t find a Walmart employee by the auto care center when he first began working to inform them the bag was his and he was doing work this morning. The worker had walked away from the bag for a moment when employees were notified that there was an unattended bag with wires attached to the gas meter. The Cook County Bomb Squad was notified of the update and cancelled. Employees and citizens were then allowed to go back into Walmart.
