Police neutralise bomb found at industrial facility in Peoria, Illinois

Police evacuated residents within a mile of an ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, after a bomb was found there, and the FBI has joined the investigation.

Police in Peoria, Illinois, ordered residents within a one-mile radius to evacuate after a bomb was found near a BioUrja ethanol plant, CBS News reports.

The suspicious package was discovered at about 2 p.m. on Friday and later deemed a “credible threat,” police said.

Police chief Brad Dixon said the device was “rendered safe” at 9:12 p.m., but searches for other possible devices continued.

“The area of BioUrja has not been rendered safe, just the package that was on site. It’s a large facility, there’s going to be an exhaustive search,” he said.

“We are currently investigating this incident with all of our partners. While it is early in the investigation, know this: we will work tirelessly to identify the individual responsible and bring them to justice,” said FBI Special Agent Ryan Presley.

Mayor Rita Ali told WMBD News the facility is “a plant that has ethanol and highly combustible types of chemicals, and so that’s what alarms us.”

Residents needing shelter were directed to the Manual Academy, police said on Facebook.