Bomb Threat Targets Walmart In Lake County: Reports

GURNEE, IL — Emergency personnel responded Monday to a bomb threat behind a Walmart in Gurnee, according to police and media reports.

A dispatcher received a call around 11:30 a.m. in which the caller said an explosive had been put in a dumpster behind the building and hung up, according to police.

Law enforcement identified the location of the threat as the 6500 block of Grand Avenue, which is home to a Walmart Supercenter, a Sam’s Club and other businesses, but Lake & McHenry County Scanner reported it was the Walmart specifically that was targeted.

Officers responded and worked with the Gurnee Fire Department and the Great Lakes Naval Station Bomb Detection Dog Team to investigate, but they did not find an explosive, police said. The building was not evacuated, although several exterior areas were temporarily restricted, according to police.

“The incident remains under investigation,” the Gurnee Police Department said in a social media post. “Threats of this nature are taken very seriously and can result in significant criminal charges. Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Gurnee Police Department."