Edgewater NJ Police Investigate Possible Bomb Threat at Local Movie Theater

Bomb Threat in Edgewater New JerseyLaw enforcement evacuated an Edgewater movie theater after getting reports of a possible bomb threat and gunshots being fired.

The threat was reported on a Saturday night, around 9:30 p.m., when the movie theater was filled with numerous customers. The Edgewater Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls about a bomb, as well as reports of gunshots fired at the Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas located in Edgewater, New Jersey.

Several people who were in attendance at the movie theater posted online comments about the scary incident on social media. One customer’s Twitter account noted “mass panic” that caused several customers to scream and run from the theater.

A few hours later, police officers arrived at the scene and were able to determine that the reports of a bomb threat and gunshots were inaccurate. However, police still evacuated the movie theater while they looked for explosives.

Law enforcement is now operating under the assumption that the 911 calls were made in response to a person falling down inside the theater. A number of people inside the theater reportedly mistook the sound of the fall for a gunshot.

This bomb threat turned out to be false. If the threat had been real, however, it could have resulted in severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3, anyone who threatens to commit an act of violence with the intent to cause evacuation of a building can be charged with third degree terroristic threats and face a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.

For further information about this case, check out the NJ.com article entitled “False Bomb, Shooting Reports Prompt Evacuation at Edgewater Theater.”


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