On February 8th, 2023, at 8:43pm the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Communications Unit received an emergency 9-1-1 telephone call from an employee of Walmart, located at 102 Primeway Drive, in the City of Welland indicating the store had received an anonymous call that there was a bomb inside the store.
Officers assigned to 3 District (Welland / Pelham) responded to the store and assisted staff with an evacuation of the premise. NRPS Canine Maverick who is trained in general purpose/tracking and explosive detection attended and conducted a sweep of the premise, concluding there were no explosives that posed any threat to employees or customers inside the store. At 9:44pm the evacuation order was lifted.
Detectives assigned to the 3 District Criminal Investigative Branch have assumed carriage of the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigators by dialing 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1023300.
Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest.
Incident #23-13446