Bomb Scare Reported in Downtown Concord

CONCORD, NH – A New Hampshire State Police bomb squad and Concord Police had parts of Downtown Concord blocked off on June 29, 2016, due to a suspicious package, according to alerts, scanner chatter, and posts on Facebook.

Police, the squad, and Concord Fire and Rescue teams, were called to city plaza - the area in front of the Statehouse with the memorial stones along North Main Street - at just before 7:30 a.m. after receiving the report.

Lt. Timothy O'Malley, the commander of the criminal investigations unit for the Concord Police Department, stated that officers were assisting NHSP, blocking off a number of streets, as a precaution.

At around 8:25 a.m., a number of side streets and North Main Street were re-opened up but police kept Capitol Street closed. Statehouse employees were also allowed to re-enter the building, according to scanner chatter. At around 8:45 a.m., all units cleared the scene.

The scare comes less than a day after the Instanbul Airport was attacked by three terrorists strapped with bombs and wielding guns, killing 50 and injuring more than 150, according to press reports.

While there have been limited scares and threats at the Statehouse in the past, officials decided last week, as a safety precaution, to propose closing off public access to some doors to the buildings as well as the underground tunnel that connects the Statehouse to the Legislative Office Building, according to the Concord Monitor. Guards will also be armed, according to the report.

Concord NH Patch will update this post when more information becomes available.

Caption: A member of the New Hampshire State Police bomb squad at city plaza on North Main Street on June 29, for a report of a suspicious package. Credit: Kenneth Kreis of Capitol Copy. Caption: Photos of New Hampshire State Police and bomb squad setting up and checking the package. Credit: Brian Blackden.