On Monday, January 1, 2024, the Galesburg Police Department responded to a bomb threat at the Hy-Vee on N. Henderson Street. Upon arrival, it was found that a device was delivered to the store with a pallet of grapes. The device had duct tape and wires attached to it. The store decided to evacuate out of an abundance of caution. The Peoria Bomb Squad responded to the store. Upon examination, it was found there was no explosive device, just tape and wires surrounding grapes.
While this was a hoax, this is a serious crime that caused significant disruption to the store as well as public safety resources. Further investigation will be conducted to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
The Galesburg Police Department would like to thank the numerous agencies that assisted with this event:
Hy-Vee Asset Protection
Knox County Sheriff’s Office
Illinois Secretary of State Police bomb squad
Peoria bomb squad
FBI
