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Bomb squad sheds light on Queens mall evacuation over suspicious Tesla containing propane tanks
- Queens Place Shopping Center was evacuated due to reports of a suspicious vehicle on Monday
- At 10:30 am, the city’s bomb squad gave it ‘all clear’ after investigating a Tesla
- The vehicle, which had stolen license plates, prompted passers-by to call 911 after seeing a small can attached to the back of it.
- Investigators said they were still looking for the driver of the vehicle
New York City investigators got it all clear after reports of ‘Tesla containing propane tanks’ near shopping mall prompted evacuation of the area.
The Queens Place Shopping Center was evacuated Monday morning after authorities received a call regarding the suspicious vehicle parked along Queens Boulevard around 8:30 a.m.
Video and photos showed a strong presence of emergency personnel at 56th Avenue and Queens Boulevard.
The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau bomb squad investigated the vehicle and just before 10:30 am gave it “all clear”.
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New York City investigators made it all clear after reports of a “ Tesla containing propane tanks ” near a shopping mall prompted the evacuation of The area
Images from Citizen app show fire trucks and several police cars at the scene as authorities investigate
According to NBC, the vehicle, which had stolen license plates, prompted passers-by to call 911 after seeing a small can attached to the back of it.
There was also a Black Lives Matter sign attached to the box, the network reported. The authorities are still looking for the driver.
Initial reports indicated that the box may have contained explosives.
Officials are still urging New Yorkers to use alternative routes due to road closures and to continue to steer foot traffic away from the scene.
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed the ongoing investigation at the Queens Place Mall, but said no further information about the incident was immediately available.
The incident comes just two weeks after a camper van exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day and amid a rise in crime in New York City.
Officials are still urging New Yorkers to use alternate routes due to road closures and to continue to steer foot traffic away from the scene.
In Nashville, suspect Anthony Q. Warner, 63, committed suicide in the explosion by detonating the bomb while inside the motorhome.
The bombing took place early in the morning when there was little activity in the city, and an automated message from the vehicle warning of a bomb allowed police to evacuate people.
More than 40 businesses were damaged in the blast and at least eight people were injured. Warner is the only known death.
Meanwhile, New York has seen an increase in crime.
According to statistics released Friday, New York has seen a 97% increase in shootings and a 45% increase in murders.
This is the biggest increase since 2011. The number of people shot dead has more than doubled the total for 2019, reaching a high of 14 years.
The NYPD reported 462 murders in the city for 2020. That’s a difference of 143 from 2019.
Shootings have also increased with 1,531 incidents involving guns in New York City. That’s 754 more than in 2019, officials said.
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