Police in Peoria, Illinois, ordered people within a one-mile (about 1.6 km) radius of an ethanol plant to leave their homes and workplaces on Friday, 13 November, after a bomb threat against the facility turned out to involve a real explosive device. The evacuation zone covers parts of both Peoria and neighbouring East Peoria, and it was still in force early on Saturday, local outlets including the Peoria Standard, WCBU Peoria Public Radio and 25 News/WMBD reported.
The threat targeted BioUrja Renewables, the former ADM plant at 1 Edmund Street in south Peoria, on the Illinois River. According to the Peoria Standard and 104.9 The Wolf, the company notified police of the threat at about 1:08 p.m. local time on Friday (22:08 in Istanbul) and a suspicious package was located at about 2 p.m. By around 6:45 p.m. the authorities had concluded the threat was credible and set the one-mile radius; evacuation notices followed shortly after 7 p.m.
Mayor: "We know it’s a bomb"
Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said late on Friday that a device had been identified and that officials knew it was a bomb, 25 News/WMBD and the Peoria Standard reported. She added that authorities did not know whether there were other devices.
Bomb technicians rendered the device safe at around 9:15 p.m. on Friday (about 06:15 on Saturday in Istanbul), according to 104.9 The Wolf and the Peoria Standard. At a news conference after midnight, Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon said the plant had not yet been cleared because it is a large site that requires an exhaustive search. He urged residents to take the blast radius seriously, saying that while most bomb threats turn out not to be genuine, this one was different, the same outlets reported.
FBI joins investigation; no suspect named
Ryan Presley, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Springfield office, said federal agents had been asked to help Peoria police and that the investigation was active, but he declined to give details, according to the Peoria Standard and 104.9 The Wolf. No arrests have been announced, no suspect has been named and no injuries have been reported.
Most streets inside the evacuation area were closed, WCBU and 25 News/WMBD reported. Emergency shelters were opened at Manual Academy, 811 South Griswold Street, in Peoria and at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria. Roughly 70 to 75 people had gone to the Peoria shelter by early Saturday, where the American Red Cross was arranging beds, according to the Peoria Standard and 104.9 The Wolf.
Police said the evacuation was likely to continue into Saturday afternoon local time and that residents would be notified when it is lifted. Peoria police planned their next media update for around noon local time on Saturday (21:00 in Istanbul), the Peoria Standard and 104.9 The Wolf reported.
Sources
- Explosive device at Peoria’s BioUrja plant rendered safe, police chief says; one-mile evacuation in Peoria and East Peoria remains in effect (Peoria Standard)
- Peoria Police: Explosive device rendered safe at BioUrja, evacuations to continue Saturday (104.9 The Wolf)
- ‘We know it’s a bomb,’ says Peoria’s mayor about ‘credible’ threat (WMBD / 25 News)
- Peoria Police urge evacuation after bomb threat at BioUrja Renewables (WCBU)
Photo: Scott Tranchitella from West Peoria, Illinois, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
