A large police presence with multiple responding agencies surrounded a church in Garner off U.S. Highway 70 on Friday morning.
Garner police said that just after 7 a.m., officers found a suspicious device in the parking lot of The Capital Church, which is right off US-70.
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Out of caution, the area was evacuated, and the surrounding roads were shut down while explosive device technicians responded to investigate the suspicious item.
Police said the object was determined to be a hazardous device and was safely destroyed with the assistance of the Raleigh Police Department Hazardous Device Unit. Authorities said there was no fragmentation associated with the device.
No injuries were reported, and all roads in the area have reopened.
Danielle Barbour drove by the church on Friday.
“I rode by the stop sign and I saw all the police, and I was just in shock and didn’t know what was going on,”
Barbour said she’s driven by the church for the past three years.
“I’m just in shock,” Barbour said. “I don’t know what to think.”
Garner police went business to business, asking if anyone saw unusual activity.
“It’s just been a lot to see for us, for just a local place, it’s very safe,” said Sahil Kumar, who works nearby. “We’ve never seen that may cops at once.”
The Garner Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation. At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that this incident was religiously motivated.
The WRAL Breaking News Tracker saw multiple responding law enforcement agencies, including NC State Campus Police and Garner police, outside The Capital Church off US-70.