WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Bomb threats close Salem, Fairlawn Wal-Marts
Member Center:
Two separate but similar bomb threats led to evacuations of the Salem and Fairlawn Wal-Marts during the mid-day hours today. Both stores re-opened within two hours.
The first call came to Salem. Police say a man called the Woodforest National Bank office inside the store and said there was a bomb inside the building. The caller said the bomb would be detonated unless money was wired to an account. There are no details regarding how much money was demanded; police say the Western Union address given was not in the Roanoke area.
Officers conducted a search of the store and found no suspicious device.
Less than an hour later after the Salem call, somebody phoned in a bomb threat to the Fairlawn Wal-Mart in Pulaski County. Sheriff Jim Davis says this was also directed at Woodforest National Bank inside the store, but he did not provide further details.
Police happened to be holding K-9 training sessions nearby, so there were plenty of dogs available to search the building, which re-opened after an hour and half.
Police do not know for sure whether the two threats are related, but they are investigating the obvious similarities.
