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'No imminent threat' at NJ's American Dream Mall after Black Friday evacuation
By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Nov 24, 2023
Modified Nov 24, 2023
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JHVEPhoto via Getty Images
By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Nov 24, 2023
Modified Nov 24, 2023
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New Jersey officials have determined there’s no imminent threat at the American Dream mall, which was evacuated Friday morning because of a bomb threat.
Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet just after 9:35 a.m. that the matter was still under investigation, but the mall had reopened.
“We will remain vigilant to ensure everyone stays safe this holiday season,” he wrote.
New Jersey State Police said in an email that “an individual related information” about a bomb in the mall at 7:13 a.m., prompting the evacuation. A message from state police didn’t clarify whether police knew who the individual was, or who that person initially told about the threat.
But a bomb unit and police dogs swept the mall for explosive devices, and didn’t find any, they said.
State police said their investigation was continuing and there wasn't more information available Friday morning.
Murphy had also tweeted earlier to direct residents to evacuate “out of an abundance of caution,” and nearby residents received phone alerts telling them not to use the elevators as they left the mall’s buildings.
The brief evacuation came on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
American Dream in East Rutherford is among the nation's largest malls. The combined retail and entertainment complex includes about 450 retail shops, the Dreamworks Water Park and the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park. The mall opened at 7 a.m. on Friday.
This is a developing story and has been updated to reflect the mall's reopening.
Tagged
public safety
new jersey
Louis C. Hochman
After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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