NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA — A 38-year-old Maine woman is accused of making threats that prompted the closure of a Walmart in N.H. Saturday morning.
Following an investigation, Meghan Leavitt, of Alfred, was arrested without incident at the Best Western, located at 20 Spur Road, in N.H., and charged with making false threats, Seabrook Police Department Lieutenant Timothy Mone said in a news release.
The incident unfolded after officers with the Seabrook Police Department received a report at approximately 11:00 a.m. about a possible explosive device at the Walmart store located at 700 Lafayette Rd., said Mone in a news release.
As officers arrived to check for the explosive, another call came into the police department about an armed man inside the store, Mone added.
Police said they immediately took measures to ensure the public was safe and began searching for the man with a fireman. The NH State Police Bomb Squad was called to search the building for explosive devices.
Per the release, they found no one carrying a gun inside the store, and no explosives were found.
Police said the threats were a hoax and re-opened Walmart to the public around 1:00 p.m.
Police said Leavitt is at the Rockingham County House of Corrections in Brentwood pending arraignment in the Rockingham County Superior Court on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 11:00 am. She's facing multiple charges.
According to Mone, police do not believe the threats made Saturday are connected to similar calls that have been made across New England in recent months.