LCSO responds to bomb threat near shopping center on US-41 at Bonita Beach Rd

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of a bomb threat at the Center of Bonita Springs shopping center on the northwest corner of US-41 and Bonita Beach Road Monday morning.

Crime scene tape surrounded the plaza, and Publix evacuated all of its employees. The threat also affected businesses nearby and even those just passing by.

Craig Jablonski did not expect to kick off his week with a bomb threat. “It’s not very common, especially in this area and stuff.”

The bomb threat impacted at least twenty businesses.

The disruption didn’t stop there. Drivers on US-41 were met with standstill traffic and doubled commute times.

Many Publix customers were stranded because their cars were stuck behind the crime scene tape.

People working next door didn’t know what to think. “So there’s a little bit of excitement and a little bit of caution and worry.”

They made the best use of the downtime that they could. “Honestly, I didn’t have to help customers with heavy furniture and stuff. So I actually was a little bit more productive. Since there was nobody in the store,” said an employee at the plaza.

The sheriff’s office determined the area was safe after about two hours. Deputies have only confirmed that this was a bomb threat.