Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Sioux Falls Police evacuated a portion of the Empire Mall after an unidentified caller told Mall officials that an explosive device had been placed in the food court area.
Officers were able to coordinate a swift evacuation of the area around the food court, which is located in the Younkers wing of the mall, with mall security. After searching the area with bomb-sniffing dogs no suspicious items were found.
The evacuated lasted from around 7 to 7:30PM, after which patrons were let back into the area. However many of the restaurants in the Food Court remained closed for the night as employees went home and equipment was shut down
Mall-goers and employees were not alerted to what was going on immediately. One shopper told KELO Radio that she was oblivious to the severity of the situation right away, saying she found out later on from outside sources. “They weren’t sneaky, per se, but they just didn’t let us know.”
Sioux Falls police say they have been working closely with mall security for situations like this, especially since the nationwide emergence of threats to malls and shopping centers this winter.