A suspicious package and a bomb threat shut down an area of Newton on Monday morning. The contents of a package were inspected by the Wichita Police Department.
According to the Newton Police Department, the threat was called in at approximately 8:30 a.m. The caller mentioned a package located near the Harvey County Community Corrections center. The Wichita Police Department deployed its bomb squad and inspected the suspicious package. Newton Deputy Chief of Police Eric Murphy says the package contained elements of a bomb.
“A lot of components were there to make a real device, however they were missing a few key components for it to actually detonate,” Murphy says. “It’s unknown at this point if they actually intended to harm someone or scare them.”
Buildings surrounding the corrections center, including Newton City Hall, were evacuated for over two hours.
Deputy Chief of Police Murphy says his department is still working on identifying who called in the bomb threat.
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