The NYPD bomb squad was called in and examined the suspect locker, but found it was empty. Additional lockers are being examined as a precautionary measure.
Images posted on social media show crowds of people walking on ramps to board ferries off the island. The evacuation of visitors took place after park officials received a telephone bomb threat around 12:30p.m. During a sweep of the tourist attraction, park canine units detected a possibly suspicious locker in the visitor’s area.
The NYPD bomb squad was called in. A little after 2:00p.m., the locker was declared to be safe, but the park will remain closed for the rest of the day.
Mike Burke, the head of State Cruises, which operates the ferry to the island said, “Our first priority is the safety and well-being of all of our visitors.” Because of the bomb threat, Burke said Statue Cruises would be “postponing all service to Liberty Island until the investigation is complete.”
According to the National Park Service, about 3.5 million people visit the Statue of Liberty every year. They must now pass through a security screening similar to the screening done in airports. The last time the island was closed to the public was in October 2013 when it was shut down for 12 days because of a government shut down.
Lady Liberty was a gift to the United States from the people of France, commemorating 100-years of friendship between the two nations, and as a gift to commemorate the centennial of America’s independence. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886 by President Grover Cleveland.
