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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City police determined that an "unattended and suspicious backpack" left behind in the University of Utah Hospital was not a bomb after an investigation prompted officials to close roads in the area.
The incident began about 3 p.m. when the university's public safety department received a report of the abandoned backpack in the first-floor lobby area of the hospital, according to the U's campus alert page. Salt Lake City police were called in to respond, and a bomb-sniffing dog alerted to potential explosives in the bag.
Police encouraged people to avoid driving near the hospital.
At 6:47 p.m. the University of Utah Health tweeted the bomb squad determined there were no explosives and the hospital would return to normal operations over the next few hours.
"We can confirm the item in question does not pose any threat and the hospital and our community is safe," Salt Lake City police said on Twitter.
According to a statement from the hospital, all patients who were transferred due to the investigation were able to return to their rooms, and staff members were able to change shifts. Hospital officials said the incident was handled "confidently and effectively."
"I'm relieved this resolved without incident and I'm incredibly grateful to our teams, to our law enforcement partners, and to all those involved in supporting our hospital this evening. I'd also like to thank our partner hospital systems who stood by, ready to assist us as needed. We continue to prove that we're at our best during trying times," said Dan Lundergan, CEO of U. Hospitals and Clinics.
