Rome Georgia – Pipe Bomb Found At Mt Berry Square Mall
December 31, 2007 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
A suspected pipe bomb was found at Rome’s Mt. Berry Square mall this morning, prompting an evacuation of the shopping center, and Emergency Management Agency Director Scotty Hancock said it was still unclear whether the device was explosive.
Hancock said it had the physical appearance of a pipe bomb, but no detonator.
“I don’t know if it had the insides to make it explode,” he said.
According to Travis Goss of the Rome Police Department, shortly after 7 a.m., a maintenance worker found a suspicious package and called 911. Officers set up a command center at Treasure Island, as well as barriers around the mall.
At around 9:15 a.m., reporters on the scene heard a call of “fire in the hole,” and then a small explosion from near the main entrance around 10 seconds later. The package was then removed from the site.
Sheriff Tim Burkhalter said the “bomb” was found in a parking island near the front entrance. No suspects have been named, and Burkhalter said the bomb appeared to have been placed at the mall intentionally.
