Some Philadelphia region movie theaters were evacuated Friday morning after an alleged bomb threat was called into Carmike Cinemas Georgia-based corporate offices.
Authorities say the threat called for nine bombs to go off during 1 p.m. showings of the action flick Expendables 2.
It was unclear if the bombs were to be left in one specific theater or spread out through Carmike's 170 or so nationwide locations. As a precaution evacuations occurred at local theaters as well as theaters in other parts of the country including Lexington, Ky. and six Atlanta, Ga. locations.
Carmike Cinemas has five locations in the greater Philadelphia region including the Carmike 16 Theatre in Allentown, Pa.; Carmike 14 Theatre in Dover, Del.; Coventry 8 Theatre in Pottstown, Pa.; the Wyomissing 8 Theatre in Reading, Pa. and Carmike 12 in West Pottsgrove, Pa.
NBC10 was able to confirm some sort of police activity at the Allentown and West Pottsgrove locations.
Employees were taken out of the theater location in the Upland Square Shopping Center just after 10:30 a.m. The theater had yet to open for the day.
Per a press release from West Pottsgrove Police:
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Carmike personnel received the information from their corporate headquarters located in Georgia. The threat was not directed to a specific Carmike Theater however it did indicate there was a bomb set to explode at 1 p.m. today at the start of the new film Expendables 2.
Police K-9 units from SEPTA and local police municipalities searched the theater but came up with no signs of a bomb, police said.
The building was deemed safe and employees were allowed back in as of 1:10 p.m.
“Theater manger indicated that they will be operating under their normal schedule,” said West Pottsgrove Police Det. Sgt. Steve Ziegler. “West Pottsgrove Township Police Department will have officers at the theater during today's showings.”
Calls by NBC10 to Carmike’s offices weren’t immediately returned and the company made no reference to the evacuations on their website as of 2:30 p.m. Friday.
