Fake Pipe Bomb Thrown Inside Tobacco City In Merrionette Park

MERRIONETTE PARK, IL - The Cook County bomb squad was called to the parking lot of the Tobacco City store in Merrionette Park Wednesday night after police reported a suspicious package, possibly a pipe bomb, that was found outside the store just after 5:30 p.m. It was later determined that the package was not a real pipe bomb, according to Merrionette Park police.

Sgt. Jon Bruce said that police were called to the Tobacco City at 3281 W. 115th St. at 5:36 p.m. and were told that a man threw the package inside the store and immediately fled. One of the customers quickly threw the package outside of the store, thinking it was a real pipe bomb.

Bruce said the device landed about 10 feet from the store's entrance in the parking lot. The area was immediately evacuated as the Merrionette Park Fire Department responded with the bomb squad.

Traffic was blocked on 115th Street between Kedzie and Spaulding avenues for about two hours before it was cleared around 8 p.m. Several Chicago police units also responded to help with the initial investigation. Crime scene tape could be seen blocking off the entrances to a small strip mall that includes the Tobacco City, an H&R Block, Beggar's Pizza and Hair Cuttery businesses.

Bruce said that there are two suspects in the case, but no arrests had been made as of 8:30 p.m. One of the suspects may have been captured on a surveillance video.

There were about 4-5 customers in the store at the time of the incident, Bruce said.

Beverly-Mt. Greenwood Patch was one of several news outlets that responded to the scene. Watch a Facebook Live video from the scene below.

Photo by Tim Moran / Patch