Bomb squads remove device from Wilmington courthouse steps

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Authorities in Wilmington say the downtown area is safe after bomb squads removed a device from the steps of the county courthouse.

New Hanover County deputy Charles Smith with the told the Star-News of Wilmington that someone called from a pay phone Monday morning and told authorities there was a bomb on the steps of the courthouse. Smith said the person then hung up the phone.

Authorities responded to the scene and confirmed there was the device item, and deputies directed traffic away from the area. The courthouse was closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Bomb squads from the police department and the sheriff's office responded. They removed the unidentified device. It wasn't immediately clear what the device contained.

Authorities were searching Monday for the caller, who was believed to be a white male driving an older-model pickup, possibly white or tan in color.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office at 910-798-4200.