UPDATED: Police say Utah County government buildings, Provo City Library clear after bomb threats made
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- A Provo police officer patrols the front of the Utah County Historic Courthouse in response to a bomb threat Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Provo.
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- Provo police patrol the front of the Utah County Historic Courthouse in response to a bomb threat Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Provo.
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- Police squad cars are pictured in front of the Utah County Building as they respond to a bomb threat Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Provo.
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- A Provo Police Department squad car sits in front of the Utah County Building as they respond to a bomb threat Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Bomb threats were made via phone calls to multiple buildings in Provo on Tuesday, prompting bomb sweeps by Provo police and an evacuation of the Utah County government campus, though no explosive devices were discovered.
The first bomb threat was made to the Utah County government buildings Tuesday morning, Provo police said, and an evacuation was already in progress when officers responded to the scene.
As police were concluding their sweep of the area, a similar bomb threat call came in for the Provo City Library, and a third call came for the Utah First Credit Union on 310 North and 100 West, spokesperson Jana-Lee Holland told the Daily Herald.
All of the Provo buildings were cleared Tuesday afternoon, Holland confirmed, and Utah County spokesperson Richard Piatt added that county offices would remain closed Tuesday.
The library and credit union were not evacuated, Holland said, because Provo police’s protocol is “typically not to immediately evacuate.”
“I believe that they went through and did the sweep with the (explosive ordnance disposal) canines, which didn’t hit on anything to give any indication that there was anything out of place,” she said.
Police believe the calls were made to elicit a large response, and the originating phone numbers were spoofed to avoid detection.
“Investigators are following up on the numbers that came through to see if there’s any way to check and try to identify who this person might be,” she said.
A Utah County press release said a county employee received a phone call just before 10 a.m. Tuesday from a person claiming there was a bomb in the parking structure adjacent to the county offices.
“The caller stated he was watching the area, intended to harm county employees, and that the device would detonate in 34 minutes,” the release stated.
The Utah County Commission Office acted quickly, evacuating approximately 200 employees from the administration building and the historic courthouse.
Provo police responded immediately to the threat and secured the area and deployed bomb-sniffing canines, the county said, completing their sweep by noon.
“The County Commission Office extends its sincere gratitude to the Provo Police Department and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office for their swift and professional response during this unsettling incident,” the release said.
During the sweep, 100 South was closed between University Avenue and 200 East as patrol cars controlled the area, and police K-9s were also seen monitoring the premises.
