Kroger has received two more bomb threats, this time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and only minutes apart from each other. The stores were evacuated Monday afternoon following separate threats, reports local news outlet WCPO 9 Cincinnati.
Cincinnati police said the first Kroger store received a bomb threat and was briefly evacuated, but ultimately police found no active threat.
The second store which received a bomb threat, located a nine-minute drive away from the first, was also ultimately cleared by police.
A Kroger spokesperson confirmed to WCPO 9 Cincinnati that both stores were evacuated due to bomb threats.
“We are disheartened by the continued violent threats against our customers and associates,” the spokesperson said. “One of our core values is safety and we remain committed to protecting our customers and associates from injury with a safe and secure workplace and shopping environment. Our stores are safe.”
This comes on the heels of the grocer receiving several other bomb threats in June. Five Kroger stores in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky also had to be evacuated, with a sixth store in Cincinnati being evacuated a day later after police say the store also received a similar threat.
Ultimately no explosives were discovered in the previous cases, and police said the threats were false alarms. The departments said they believed the bomb threats to be part of a nationwide hoax that has been going on in recent months.
Kroger officials were said to be working with local law enforcement and the FBI to investigate similar threats that have taken place around the country at many retail stores. Last month, multiple Hy-Vee locations received bomb threats on the same day — no actual threat was discovered in that instance either.
