Evanston police are investigating a reported suspicious item with exposed wires found outside of Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital Tuesday evening, July 28, according to a police department news release.
Police told Pioneer Press the owner of the bag in which the item was discovered has been identified but there is no believed “active threat to the hospital or the public.”
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident and no arrests have been made, according to Evanston Police Commander Ken Carter.
Police initially responded to the report of a potential bomb threat at Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital, 2650 Ridge Avenue, at approximately 5:01 p.m. July 28 after hospital security witnessed a package with wires protruding from it placed outside of the building.
After arriving at the scene, responding officers secured the perimeter of the area and restricted access to the immediate vicinity as a precaution, police said.
Because of a potentially active bomb, the Evanston Fire Department deployed a drone to provide an aerial view of the item while the Cook County Bomb Squad used specialized equipment and procedures to examine the contents of the bag, according to Carter.
The Bomb Squad determined the suspicious item was not an explosive device and did not pose any active danger to the public. Its construction and purpose were still being evaluated, Carter said.
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The scene was cleared at approximately 6:31 p.m. Tuesday, according to police.
“Because this remains an active investigation, no additional information is available for release at this time,” Carter said Wednesday morning.
An Endeavor Health spokesperson issued a statement Tuesday evening during the incident saying, “Authorities have cleared the area. The hospital remains open.”
Additional updates will be provided to the public when they are available, Carter said.