LAKE WALES, Fla. (AP) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation says two items believed to be marine flares ignited in a hallway at a Florida mall, creating a large amount of smoke.
Police had initially said they were IEDs.
However, FBI spokeswoman Andrea Aprea said in a statement Monday there’s no indication of any explosion at the Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales on Sunday afternoon.
Police and fire officials found smoke in a service corridor outside J.C. Penney and discovered what they believed to be an IED along with a book bag.
Aprea said bomb technicians found no trace of incendiary or explosive devices. She said there’s no current indication of terrorism. The agency is continuing to assist state and local officials in the investigation.
No one was injured, but the mall was evacuated.