Evacuation lifted after bomb threat near industrial plant in Peoria, Illinois; rendered safe by police

An evacuation order was lifted Saturday and residents were allowed to return to their homes after a bomb threat near an industrial building in Peoria, Illinois.

The city of East Peoria said in a statement that, as of 1:00 p.m. local time, residents in the 1-mile radius evacuation zone “can return to their homes and all businesses can resume normal operations.” 

Peoria police said a suspicious package was found near a BioUrja ethanol plant at approximately 2 p.m. on Friday, and that hours later it was determined to be a “credible threat.”

Police Chief Brad Dixon said Saturday at a press conference that there was still “no explanation on what the device was.” He said the investigation is still ongoing. 

“Law Enforcement will continue their investigation into this incident, and updates will be provided,” the police department said in a statement. 

Dixon added the package was “rendered safe” at 9:12 p.m., but searches continued for other possible devices throughout the wider area.

“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 at a press conference.

FBI Special Agent Ryan Presley told reporters his office deployed personnel to work alongside the Peoria Police Department, Peoria Fire Department, Peoria County Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office and Illinois State Police.

“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,” Presley said.

Gov. Pritzker said on social media, “I am actively monitoring the bomb threat in Peoria, and I have directed the Illinois State Police to coordinate with local authorities.”

The mayor of Peoria, Rita Ali, said in an interview with WMBD News late Friday that the facility is “a plant that has ethanol and highly combustible types of chemicals, and so that’s what alarms us.”

Country music singer Jon Pardi had to cancel his concert because it was in the area, saying, “Peoria we’re disappointed we won’t get to spend tonight with you…”

In a post on Facebook, the Peoria Police Department advised those needing shelter to go to the nearby Manual Academy.

Peoria is located in central Illinois, about 75 miles north of Springfield and 150 miles southwest of Chicago. The BioUrja plant is located along the Illinois River in the southern part of the city.