Minneapolis Co-Op Target Of Bomb Threat Saturday

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Twin Cities grocery market known as "The Friendship Store" was the target of a bomb threat over the weekend. Sean Doyle, the general manager of south Minneapolis' Seward Co-op, said in a statement that an individual called the store Saturday evening "and made hateful statements to staff members regarding our diverse and inclusive community."

The caller threatened to bring a bomb to the co-op, according to Doyle, who said the police were called and are now investigating the incident. The store was closed for the remainder of Saturday night.

"Our gratitude goes out to the staff and customers in the store at the time who took the threat seriously, and acted calmly and quickly," Doyle added. "I want to commend our staff for closing the store and taking the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s safety. We also want to express our gratitude to the customers who cooperated with the closure on Saturday evening and the support and kindness we have received from concerned neighbors."

The Seward Co-op is working with police on how to ensure the safety of staff and customers. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Minnesota Patch, click here to find your local Minnesota Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

"We are stronger than one ugly voice," Doyle said. "We condemn all hate crimes and encourage our community to support organizations that stand up to individuals who commit hate crimes."

Image via Seward Community Co-op, used with permission