The Brewer Police Department evacuated a Walmart on Thursday after the store received a bomb threat via phone.
Employees helped evacuate the building out of “an abundance of caution,” and police responded to search the store.
Walmart employees worked with officers to search for a potential explosive device, but the search did not reveal any suspicious objects.
The store re-opened a short time later.
Police traced the call and determined that it came from a juvenile who allegedly made the hoax call as a prank.
The investigation remains ongoing, but police say charges are forthcoming for the juvenile.
This is just the latest in what appears to be an increase in bomb threat hoaxes across the state.
[RELATED: Bowdoin College Locked Down Buildings Monday After Hoax Threat Similar to One Made Against Colby…]
Both Bowdoin and Colby Colleges received similar threats targeting their libraries on Monday, prompting multiple buildings to be evacuated on both campuses.
Police responded in both cases, and the buildings were only able to return to normal operations after the police swept them and found nothing suspicious.
The Maine State Police have launched an investigation into the person or people responsible for those threats. There is no indication that the threat against the Brewer Walmart is related.
