Beaufort’s Walmart was evacuated Friday night. What police say was going on

Shoppers at Beaufort’s Walmart were evacuated Friday evening due to a reported bomb threat, according to a news release from the Beaufort Police Department.

There were no explosive devices located in the store and no one was injured, the release said. An alert went out to residents about the potential threat around 7:30 p.m.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad and other deputies assisted Beaufort Police in evacuating the store and searching the property. Walmart reopened after the sweep.

The false threat is actively being investigated, in hopes that the suspects responsible for the hoax call can be identified.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Beaufort Police Department’s tip line at (843) 322-7938.

The situation at Beaufort’s Walmart comes three weeks after The Port Royal Food Lion was also evacuated for a false bomb threat, according to the Port Royal Police Department.

There are no suspects in that bomb threat, police said at the time.

Katherine Kokal

The Island Packet

843-560-9158

Katherine Kokal graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and joined The Island Packet newsroom in 2018. Before moving to the Lowcountry, she worked as an interviewer and translator at a nonprofit in Barcelona and at two NPR member stations. At The Island Packet, Katherine covers Hilton Head Island’s government, environment, development, beaches and the all-important Loggerhead Sea Turtle. She has earned South Carolina Press Association Awards for in-depth reporting, government beat reporting, business beat reporting, growth and development reporting, food writing and for her use of social media.