Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Sandra Yi Reporting The movies playing at Jordan Landing stopped suddenly Saturday afternoon. That's because a suspicious duffel bag forced hundreds to evacuate from the theaters in West Jordan.
Authorities blew up the bag. They won't say exactly what's inside it, but they do say that there were components that could be used in an explosive device. However, they stress that does NOT mean it was a bomb.
Police safely destroyed that bag. The movie theaters and surrounding businesses are open again after the scare that shut the place down for several hours.
An afternoon at the movies was cut short after an unexpected announcement.
Lonny Mannikko: "The lights came on and they said we need you guys to evacuate. We have a situation."
Around 3:15, a theater employee found the duffel bag left on a handicap ramp outside the theaters. The discovery forced the theaters and businesses within 200 feet to shut. Police blocked off the parking lot, leaving some people with no access to their cars. Those people heard they might be waiting three to four hours.
Bomb technicians used a robot to blast the bag twice with a water cannon. Police didn't want to take any chances. They say the bag contained components to make an explosive device.
Captain Gary Cox/West Jordan Police Dept: "But at the same time, there are items we use in everyday use that we could use for an explosive device. Some of those kinds of things were in that bag. We wanted to make sure that they couldn't combine with something else in the bag to create an explosion."
Most moviegoers took the situation in stride. They say it's better to be safe than sorry.
The FBI is involved in this investigation, which is routine. Investigators don't know if someone forgot this bag, or left it intentionally. There were no threatening phone calls to the theater.
If you were at the theater this afternoon and saw the black nylon duffel bag, please call West Jordan police.
