Joplin Olive Garden evacuated after alleged gun threat
JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin police evacuated a busy restaurant today after reports of a man inside with a gun.
JPD says just after noon today, reports from several Olive Garden employees stated there was a man inside the restaurant making threats with a gun.
As officers responded, the situation reportedly escalated.
Police say the man was allegedly waving the gun around and ordering employees and customers out of the building and into the parking lot.
That’s when the business began evacuating. Officers say once they arrived they made sure the building was cleared.
JPD says they do believe there was a man inside the building with a gun but once they arrived they determined the man had already left.
Right now, officers are unsure what started the disturbance.
“At this time we don’t know who he is. Don’t know the exact situation. Nobody is in custody. There are no injuries. We’re simply investigating and trying to get to the bottom of it,” said Trevor Duncan, Joplin Police Captain.
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“All I heard was that there was a guy with a weapon. And I was still doing my job, I told the manager and she was already on the phone with the police. So we handled the situation pretty efficiently. Crazy day in Joplin for sure,” said Valentino Tigre Ruiz, Olive Garden Employee.
Captain Duncan says if you have any information regarding today’s incident – you can contact JPD at 417-623-3131.
