Update @ 5:00 pm – All clear now. Texarkana, Texas Police Department has cleared the scene.
Central Mall Security noticed a suspicious briefcase next to a vehicle between 1:45 pm and 2 pm today, and alerted authorities of the suspicious package. According to TTPD, the briefcase did not belong to the owner of the vehicle, and the vehicle was never a threat. Texarkana, Texas Police and Fire Department initially responded.
Shreveport Bomb Squad arrived in white suburban-type vehicles.
Texarkana, Texas Police did an initial investigation and then called in mutual aid of the Shreveport Bomb Square. The Shreveport Bomb Squad immediately drove to Texarkana to assist. Texarkana, Texas Police Department does not have the equipment that the Shreveport Bomb Squad used. This is a robot X-Ray camera that was able to take a picture of the suitcase from afar. The picture was analyzed with special equipment to determine whether the suitcase had any explosive devices in it. After the Shreveport Bomb Squad determined that nothing harmful was inside, an individual grabbed the suitcase and took it away.
“Anytime we have a package like that, we have to use extreme caution”, stated Lisa Thompson, the Public Information Officer for the City of Texarkana, Texas.
Texarkana, Texas Police Department does not have any reason to believe that the suitcase at Central Mall and the bomb threat at Texarkana College this morning are related.
3:00 pm, Texarkana, TX – TTPD and TTFD were dispatched to Central Mall in response to a suspicious package.
A specialist from Shreveport is en route.
Stay clear of police activity in mall parking lot.
Stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available.
