ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio — A bomb threat forced the evacuation of the Walmart store in St. Clairsville Tuesday afternoon, sending shoppers and employees out of the building as authorities swept the premises, according to Belmont County law enforcement on scene.
Richland Township Police Chief Michael Troullis confirmed the evacuation was triggered by a bomb threat called in around 1:30 p.m.
“We evacuated the store because we had a bomb threat called in,” Chief Troullis said, adding that as of around 2:15 p.m. he anticipated the sweep would be completed within 10 to 15 minutes.
The incident is the latest in a string of disturbances at the busy Belmont County retail location. Chief Troullis acknowledged that law enforcement has responded to the store multiple times in recent weeks.
“We’ve had a lot of calls here,” Troullis said, noting responses have included at least one physical altercation involving a store employee, which was handled by the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office.
Incidents at the location in recent months have included reports of assault and theft, in addition to Tuesday’s bomb threat.
The chief downplayed the overall trend — saying the volume of calls is “nothing out of the ordinary” for a large retail store.
Other stores in the Walmart plaza including Pet Supplies Plus and Goodwill remained open as the incident unfolded.
No injuries were reported in connection with Tuesday’s evacuation. Authorities were completed their sweep and reopened the store to the public around 2:20 p.m.
