Kenneth NiemeyerWalmart management called the Oxford Police Department to Jackson Ave. on Sunday, Jan. 31 after someone inside the store told other shoppers that there was a bomb somewhere in the store.
OPD tweeted at 4:30 p.m. that people should stay away from the Walmart and that the building had been evacuated. Around two hours later, OPD announced that K-9 explosives units were dispatched by other agencies assisting with the search of the building.
At 7:47 p.m., the building was deemed safe to reenter, but the Walmart location stayed closed for the rest of the day.
Jordan Montray Williams, a 26-year-old from Oxford, was arrested in connection with the bomb threat and charged with false reporting of bomb, explosive or weapons of mass destruction the following day. His bond was set at $50,000.
OPD Chief Jeff McCutchen thanked the Oxford Fire Department, University Police Department, Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Highway Patrol and Walmart employees for their assistance with the incident in a press release. The investigation into the bomb threat is still ongoing, according to OPD.
