NEWS

Greenville prayer service evacuated because of bomb threat

Lyn Riddle
lnriddle@greenvillenews.com

The pastor's voice was soothing, yet what lay behind the words was troubling.

"Stand up, turn to your right and exit the building," said the Rev. James Speed, pastor of Allen Temple AME Church.

About 400 people walked in silence, for the most part, into the hot, humid day to find a raft of police cars and flashing lights, ambulances and blocked streets.

A man had called city police to say a bomb was inside a toolbox in the West End Community Development Center, where a prayer service was being held for the victims in the Charleston AME church shootings.

An hour later, a similar threat was made to a prayer service in Charleston.

Greenville Police Chief Ken Miller said his officers are working with Charleston officials and the FBI. The Greenville caller mentioned the Charleston shootings, Miller said.

Miller said the call came into the nonemergency line at 12:24 p.m., and authorities managed to keep the man on the phone for an hour. He hung up and then called back.

Miller said his officers were trying to trace the calls but there are a lot of ways a person can disguise a phone number.

Officers, meanwhile scoured the building and then brought in the Sheriff's Office drug-sniffing Labrador retriever. Nothing unusual was found, Miller said.

Police reopened the streets at about 2:20 p.m. and told employees of the center to keep the door locked and not to let in anyone they didn't know.

"It's evidence that Satan's busy," said Judy Richardson, presiding elder for the Greenville AME district, who was leading the noon prayer service.

Speed said, "I'm glad everybody got out safe and glad we got our prayers up."