A scary situation at the Central Park Library in Santa Clara on Tuesday, police evacuated the building after employees at the library reported a suspicious package.
“In an abundance of caution, [Santa Clara Police] evacuated the library as a result of a suspicious package,” said the department’s official Twitter account. “The Bomb Squad determined it to be fake and contained no explosive material. The library will be closed for the balance of today.”
Around 1:30 on Tuesday afternoon, police received a call from an employee who found a suspicious device in the employee part of the library, toward the back.
Police immediately issued evacuation orders for the library.
At 1:39 p.m., the department issued the following tweet: “POLICE ACTIVITY – 4/30/19 Central Park Library. Santa Clara PD is on scene at the Central Park Library. Evacuation orders are in place for the library only. No impact on adjacent schools, community center, swim center or neighborhood. Avoid the area until further notice.”
The Santa Clara County Bomb Squad arrived on the scene to determine if there was any danger to the public. After assessing the situation, the bomb squad determined there was no explosive material.
Just after 5 p.m., the all clear was given.
The library remained closed for the rest of the day, but is expected to be open today.
Wednesday morning, Santa Clara police’s Public Information Officer, Lieutenant Todd Cummins, had additional information on the suspicious package.
“The package contained items that made it appear suspicious,” said Lt. Cummins. “The Santa Clara County Bomb Squad was able to definitively determine there was nothing hazardous in the package and it was not destroyed.”
Police have not said what the item was or if it was placed deliberately.
“Because detectives are still investigating the origins of the package, we will not be providing a detailed description of the package at this time,” said Lt. Cummins.