More than 5,000 people were evacuated from parts of Peoria, Illinois, after authorities discovered a bomb at an ethanol plant, prompting an investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Authorities found the device on Friday at the BioUrja Renewables facility in central Illinois, triggering a large-scale emergency response and evacuating nearby residents and workers within a one-mile radius.
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Peoria Mayor Rita Ali confirmed the threat, saying authorities had established that the package contained a bomb but were still investigating whether other devices had been planted at the site.
“We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb,” Ali said late Friday.
Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon said the discovery was not a false alarm, noting that although bomb threats in the United States often turn out to be hoaxes, the situation at the ethanol plant was different.
“This is not the case here. We found a credible package there deemed to be a threat. We’re not considering this a hoax,” Dixon said during a news conference on Saturday.
Authorities said the initial report was made to police shortly after 1pm local time on Friday. The device was later rendered safe, but the evacuation order remained in place as emergency teams continued searching the industrial complex for additional threats.
Dixon said the size of the facility meant investigators would need more time to complete their work.
“It’s a large facility. There’s going to be an exhaustive search on the facility. That has not been completed yet,” he said.
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The FBI has joined the investigation to establish who was responsible for placing the device and whether anyone else was involved.
Ryan Pressley, an FBI special agent from the bureau’s Springfield office, said investigators were working to identify those responsible.
“While it is early in the investigation, know this. We will work tirelessly to identify the individual responsible and bring them to justice,” he said.
No arrests had been made and no injuries were reported as of Saturday.
Emergency shelters were established at Manual Academy High School in Peoria and the EastSide Centre sports complex in neighbouring East Peoria to accommodate people displaced by the evacuation.
The Peoria Fire Department, Peoria County Sheriff’s Department and Illinois Secretary of State also participated in the emergency response.
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the incident or identified any suspects as the investigation continues.
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Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
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