CINCINNATI — A sixth Kroger store in the Tri-State has been evacuated this weekend due to a bomb threat.
Police responded to the North College Hill Kroger along Hamilton Avenue for a reported bomb threat, North College Hill police said.
The parking lot could be seen taped off, and employees were gathered at the nearby Perkins restaurant.
Emily Gibney/WCPO
North College Hill police quickly cleared the store, and employees began returning just after 11:30 a.m.
According to a incident report from the threat, the store received two threats from an anonymous man calling on the phone — one that said there was a bomb in the store and another saying someone was coming to the store with a bomb in a backpack. The report also says that the caller's voice sounded calm and had no distinct accent.
The threats in North College Hill come after five other Kroger stores were evacuated and cleared by police Saturday due to bomb threats.
Police responded to the Erlanger Kroger in Kenton County for a reported bomb threat Saturday afternoon.
Store management at the Erlanger Kroger was seen turning vehicles away from the parking lot, and customers and employees could be seen outside in the parking lot evacuated from the store.
Drew Tanner/WCPO
Employees were seen re-entering the Erlanger Kroger just before 2:30 p.m.
The Kroger in Cold Spring near Northern Kentucky University was also evacuated and closed for almost two hours due to a bomb threat, workers at the store said.
The Oakley Kroger Marketplace also received a threat around 12:30 p.m., CPD's Lt. Jonathan Cunningham said. Cunningham didn't specify that it was a bomb threat.
The store could be seen evacuated and surrounded by caution tape.
Drew Tanner/WCPO
Cunningham said nothing was found at the store, and it reopened around 4 p.m.
Those incidents came after two other Northern Kentucky Kroger stores — Newport and Bellevue — were cleared by police earlier Saturday.
Bellevue police sent an email alert about the Bellevue and Newport threats around 10:50 a.m., and both stores were evacuated as a precaution.
Around 12:40 p.m., Bellevue police said the stores had been "checked, cleared, and reopened."
While police investigated, a few police cars could be seen outside of the Newport Kroger while employees and customers stood far away from the building.
Marc Price/WCPO
Bellevue and Erlanger police said they believe these threats are part of a nationwide hoax that has been going on in the past few months. Bellevue police also said they have looped the FBI in on the situation.
A Kroger spokesperson said they are aware of the "suspicious activity" at several Kroger locations in the Tri-State area.
"The safety and well-being of our associates and customers are our top priority," the Kroger spokesperson said. "We are working closely with local law enforcement and the FBI to investigate similar threats that have taken place around the country at many retail stores."
READ MORE:
Kroger paid employee bonuses in March, asked for money back in April
Kroger's new digital coupon rules helps those who struggle with apps
Albertsons deal could be a 'game changer' for Kroger's retail media unit, analyst says
