CONCORD -- Tuesday, employees at the new Lowe's on U.S. 29, a quarter of a
mile from Northeast Medical Center, stood out in the pouring rain after one of them found
a suspicious device in the store.The Federal
Bureau of Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the State Bureau of
Investigation, Cabarrus County Hazardous Device Unit and the Concord Police and Fire
departments swarmed the massive parking lot.
Rush hour traffic crept by as drivers first looked
at the scene and then across the street to all of the media. Some motorists even stopped
in the street to ask what had happened.
No one has confirmed where in the store the device
was found or if it was even dangerous, but the scare comes after last Wednesday's incident
when, improvised explosive devices detonated in the Salisbury and Asheboro Lowe's paint
departments -- two minutes apart but 42 miles away.
Four days after the Salisbury/Asheboro incidents, a
Chapel Hill Lowe's was cleared, though the scare proved to be a false alarm, according to
Brian Peace, director of public relations for the North Wilkesboro based stores.
"A situation arose there that had potential
for some risk and the store was cleared," Peace said. "We are doing everything
we can to ensure them (employees) their safety is our top priority, along with our
customers."
Investigators believed the explosions in Salisbury
and Asheboro are related but are not speculating on the third. Earl Woodham, public
information officer for the ATF, said they are not ruling out the possibility of a copycat
here at the Concord Lowe's.
The device found in the Concord store is currently
being examined in the Atlanta office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Woodham couldn't
say if the device even had the possibility to detonate or what kind of components it was
made of.
No one was injured in the Concord incident but some
prospective customers were upset. "I have to shop here," one customer said
as he stood behind the yellow police tape and looked down to the store. "Home Depot
won't take my credit card that says Lowe's on it."
Close to 100 Lowe's employees huddled under the
Wachovia drive-through shelter to ward of the elements. The employees are being paid for
their time but as part of the routine investigation, each one had to be interviewed before
they could go home. Some remained past 7 p.m.
No one was injured in the incident but the recent
scare is heightening Lowe's employees' awareness of the store and customers. Woodham said
the Concord Lowe's has not been through the explosive awareness training federal agents
are providing for some stores, but the employee did the right thing by alerting officials
immediately.
After the two explosions, a Salisbury customer was
treated at Rowan Regional Medical Center and released and an Asheboro customer is still
recuperating in the University of North Carolina Hospital Burn Unit in Chapel Hill from
second- and third-degree burns on her back and legs.
Woodham said the person or persons responsible face
federal prosecution. They could have faced the federal death penalty if anyone was killed.
"These matters are taken very seriously," Woodham said.
Anyone with information in Salisbury, Asheboro or
Concord incidents may call 1-888-ATF-BOMB or 1-888-283-2662 to provide anonymous
information. |
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