Courthouse Bomb Scare Prompts Criminal Investigation

A vague call to 911 Monday morning kicked off a search at the Pinellas County Justice Center for a possible bomb and has now sparked a criminal investigation.

The incident began to unfold around 8:36 a.m. Monday when a 911 caller told authorities there was a bomb at one of the county’s courthouses. While the caller didn’t name the specific courthouse, the person on the other end of the line did mention 49th Street, said Pinellas County Sheriff’s Cpl. Spencer Gross.

Deputies immediately responded to the 14250 49th St. N. courthouse in unincorporated Clearwater and searched the building. A complete evacuation and lockdown were not ordered, but the entrance was secured, Gross said.

An all-clear was given on the building around 9 a.m. with the entrance reopened.

Gross said further details are not yet available as a criminal investigation into the call has since been launched. Anyone with information about the caller is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 727-582-6200.

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