Hy-Vee stores in Iowa, 2 other states receive bomb threats forcing shoppers to evacuate

Shopping trips were interrupted Monday night when at least three Hy-Vee locations in Iowa had to evacuate and have police clear the buildings because of bomb threats.

Calls were placed to Hy-Vee stores in Ames, Johnston and Perry between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., according to police there. Law enforcement evacuated and swept the areas, but ultimately found no credible threat, they said.

Sgt. Amber Christian, spokesperson with the Ames Police Department, said more Hy-Vee stores in Iowa as well as in South Dakota and Minnesota received similar threats on Monday.

The calls were anonymous and typically are difficult to track, said Janet Wilwerding, spokesperson for the city of Johnston. Hy-Vee and local police are investigating, she said.

In a statement, Nola Aigner Davis, senior communications manager at Hy-Vee, said there's a growing trend of bomb threats that have been called in to stores across the grocery store industry. Most of the time callers ask for something and "issue the threat of a bomb if their request is not met," she said.

Davis said all of the calls are taken seriously.

"In each case, our security team partners with law enforcement, such as the FBI and local law enforcement and follows their guidance in response to the threat," she said.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter @NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Hy-Vee stores in Iowa, other states receive bomb threats