Thompsonville man arrested in connection with bomb scare at Akin store | Crime

FRANKLIN COUNTY, IL (KFVS) - The Franklin County Sheriff's Department says there was a bomb scare at the Akin General Store on Wednesday morning.

Roger W. Shelton of Thompsonville, Ill. was charged with one count of felony disorderly conduct (causing a bomb threat to be communicated to the sheriff's office).

According to Sheriff Don Jones, the department received a call at 6:42 a.m. Wednesday from a clerk that was opening the store. Jones said the clerk saw a package on the porch of the store and felt in was suspicious looking. The Franklin County Sheriff's Department arrived on scene and secured the area and the Illinois Secretary of State Police Bomb Squad were called in as well.

Jones said the Akin Grade School was across the street from the store and was evacuated. He said the school sent the children to a church that was in a safe distance area away from the Akin General Store. Parents were called to pick up their children and school was dismissed for the rest of the day.

According to Jones, the bomb squad sent their robot in to investigate and scan the package. The robot then dismantled the package, which consisted of jars, wires and other miscellaneous items. It was not a bomb, but the sheriff believes it was intended to look like one.

The sheriff's department and bomb squad were on the scene until about 11 a.m. Jones said only Shelton was arrested in connection with this bomb threat.

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