Bomb threat made to Wilmette library
(Updated at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17.)
Wilmette police investigated a bomb threat to the Wilmette Public Library on Thursday afternoon.
The threat came to the Wilmette Police Department around 2:30 p.m. Aug. 17, and police announced that the building was “all-clear” around 4:40 pm.
According to the incident report, the threat was made anonymously via the library’s “chat portal” and claimed a bomb was located “somewhere around the library.”
After responding to the scene, police evacuated and closed the library for the day “out of an abundance of caution,” Police Chief Kyle Murphy said.
Murphy said at 3:30 p.m. Thursday that there is “no indication at this point that (the bomb threat) was valid.”
The police department received assistance from Cook County explosives team in a search of the library building at 1242 Wilmette Ave.
The Glencoe Public Library is also closed for the day. A social media post attributes the closing to an “unforeseen building emergency.” Glencoe Public Safety Deputy Chief Andrew Perley said his department is not aware of a threat made to the library and library officials decided to close because of the threat made to Wilmette’s library.
Similar threats reportedly were also made the same day against libraries in Glenview, Park Ridge, Gurnee and Lincolnwood.
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Joe Coughlin
Joe Coughlin is a co-founder and the editor in chief of The Record. He leads investigative reporting and reports on anything else needed. Joe has been recognized for his investigative reporting and sports reporting, feature writing and photojournalism. Follow Joe on Twitter @joec2319