ATF offers $5,000 reward in Wal-Mart bomb scare

By Melanie Davis

A substantial reward is being offered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for placing an explosive device at Boone Wal-Mart on Sunday.

The bomb was discovered by an employee opening the store’s main entrance just before 6 a.m. Upon arriving on the scene, Boone Police and fire officials called the Wilkes County special operations bomb squad, the closest specialty unit in the region.

The Wilkes bomb squad disassembled the device, separating the components, which consisted of a copper center piece, two butane tanks and flash powder, and detonated each piece individually.

Officials found that when the device was discovered, the slow fuse on the bomb had apparently been ignited, but apparently fizzled out.

The Boone and Wilkes departments swept the store and adjacent area and found no more devices. The store re-opened to employees and shoppers at 9:30 a.m. No injuries were reported.

Images from the store security camera were released Monday. Detective Matt Stevens of the Boone Police Department said the surveillance footage shows a person jogging toward the front of the store, loitering at the front door, as if placing the device, then fleeing on foot.

The images are single frames taken from that camera footage.

The reward of up to $5,000 is offered through ATF. Anyone with information can call the ATF bomb hotline at (888) ATF BOMB, or (888) 283-2662; the NC State Bureau of Investigations at (800) 334-3000; or the Boone Police Department at (828) 268-6900 or the Crimestoppers line at (888) 283-2662.

All information will be treated confidentially, and callers may remain anonymous by request.