Ocala, Florida — At approximately 6 p.m. Sunday, an unknown person phoned in a bomb threat to the Wal-Mart, located at 9570 Southwest Highway 200.
With a packed store, a staff member made two announcements over the intercom advising customers to exit the store “due to an emergency situation.”
Shoppers stated that the announcements were muffled and very difficult to hear. Those who remained shopping were alerted by other customers.
One shopper, Angela D., alerted multiple elderly customers who had no idea the store was being evacuated.
Outside, one of the elderly patrons told Ocala Post that they “had no idea what was going on until a nice woman told her.”
Another told Ocala Post that the woman had offered to help her elderly husband, who requires the use of an electric scooter, out of the store.
Essentially, Wal-Mart was evacuated while Marion County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams cleared the store prior to allowing the store to reopen hours later.
Employees were left to deal with dozens of grocery-filled carts.
No one was injured during the evacuation.
The investigation is ongoing.
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