Lee County Justice Center evacuated after reports of bomb threat, deputies say

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office brought in the SWFL Regional Bomb Squad and K-9 units to sweep the area for any potential bombs.

ACCESS SOME OF THE HARDEST HITCOMMUNITIES.

A BRAND NEW HOUR OFCOVERAGE ON W-F-T-X BEGINS NOW.A THREAT FORCING THE EVACUATIONOF ONE OF THE BUSIEST BUILDINGSIN DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS..

THANKSFOR BEING WITH US.

I’M PATRICKNOLAN.

LEE COUNTY DEPUTIESRESPONDING TO WHAT THEY CALLED ABOMB THREAT AIMED AT THE LEECOUNTY JUSTICE CENTER.

SEARCHERSDID NOT FIND ANY EXPLOSIVES.SANDRA RODRIGUEZ LIVE...OUTSIDECOURTHOUSE WHICH DID REOPENRIGHT SANDRA?WELL, PEOPLE WERE ALLOWED BACKINSIDE JUST BEFORE 1 THISAFTERNOON... BUT NOT BEFORE THELEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFIBROUGHT IN A BOMB SQUAD AND K-9UNITS TO SWEEP THIS AREA FOR ANPOTENTIAL BOMBS...0:57 - 1:01IT WAS AROUND 10 THIS MORNINGPEOPLE SAY THEY BEGAN TOEVACUATE THE LEE COUNTY JUSTICECENTERTHIS━ AFTER REPORTS OF A BOMBTHREAT MADE TOWARDS THECOURTHOUSESOT:"All of a sudden everybodydisappeared━ all the peoplebehind the counter━ and I hadno idea where they were going.

Istood there by myself until adeputy came by and told me I hadto evacuate."THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICEBRINGING IN A BOMB SQUAD AND K-9UNITS TO SWEEP THE AREA FOR ANPOTENTIAL BOMBSSOT:"Everyone was marching out, andI followed."THE THREAT PROMPTING DR. MARTINLUTHER KING JR. BOULEVARD TOCLOSED BETWEEN 41 AND MONROESTREET AS DEPUTIES INVESTIGATEDSOT:"I thought it was maybe like afire drill or something, therewas no real sense of urgency,they were evacuating in a rapidmanner but nobody seemedpanicked."BY 12:45 DEPUTIES BEGAN LETTINGPEOPLE BACK INSIDE THECOURTHOUSE AS NO SUSPICIOUSITEMS WERE FOUNDSOT(Ron Taylor, security, StFrancis Xavier Catholic School):"I was just patrolling aroundand saw everyone standing outhere."TAYLOR WORKS SECURITY AT SCHOOLRIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THEJUSTICE CENTER...HE SAYS IT’S ALARMING SOMETHINGLIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN SO CLOSETO YOUNG CHILDRENSOT(Ron Taylor, security, StFrancis Xavier Catholic Schoo:"If it’s real or fake, they haveto use the precautions."they have to use theprecautions."I DID REACH OUT LCSO TO FIND OUTHOW THE BOMB THREAT CAME IN ANDIF INMATES IN THE LEE COUNTYJAIL ATTACHED TO THE COURTHOUSEWERE