Hoax bomb in Venice: cell phone threat shuts down shopping plaza

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – A routine workday for Katherine McCloskey took an alarming turn when she arrived to start her shift at a hair salon in Venice Commons, only to find the entire shopping plaza wrapped in crime scene tape.

“Little concerning because they had a complete whole shopping center besides Publix taped off,” said McCloskey, a Venice resident. “It took over two hours to get back.”

According to Venice Police Captain Eric Hill, officers responded to a bomb threat that, while ultimately determined to be a hoax, had to be treated as a credible danger…

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