The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office and the Lancaster City Bureau of Police have concluded the investigation into the emailed bomb threats targeting the Lancaster Public Library and others on March 23, 2024, in relation to a Drag Queen Story Hour that faced backlash in the preceding weeks.

At this time, the agencies can confirm that the threat originated overseas by an unknown actor.  The account used to convey the threats was also related to multiple bomb threats that caused cancellation of similar events scheduled for the same day in other states.

The emailed threats were sent around noon on March 23, 2024, and threatened detonation at 1:30 p.m. An evacuation notice was issued, and police eventually cleared the areas utilizing K9s, with no explosive devices being found.  An immediate investigation ensued to identify the person(s) responsible for the threats. 

A thorough investigation and assessment of all information received indicates that the email account used to send the bomb threats targeting locations and people in the City of Lancaster on March 23 was linked to numerous other email accounts, all of which were created within two weeks prior to the issued threats, and all created from the same device: a cellular phone.  Neither the email accounts nor the cellular phone had any subscriber information linked to the accounts, which is not uncommon. 

Because of the comprehensive investigation, law enforcement can now confirm that the threats received locally originated from an area in Nigeria, Africa.  The associated email accounts were also connected to numerous other emailed threats on the same day in areas of the country holding similar events as the Lancaster County Public Library. 

Those that received the bomb threats locally all had appeared in area media coverage after a pre-planned sweep of the Lancaster Public Library led to the discovery of a suspicious package.  That package was later determined to not be a threat.

Investigators with the Lancaster City Bureau of Police, in conjunction with the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, pursued all investigative methods to gain as much information as possible on the source of these threats.

“This entire incident, from its nationwide scope, the chosen medium and the origin of the accounts, is not unlike similar bomb threats made in late 2023 in which ‘malicious actors’ targeted Jewish institutions and schools, and even more recent threats that targeted similar events planned since April of this year in other states,”  Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said. “While an arrest is unable to be made, the public deserves to know that the responsibility for these threats clearly lies outside our community, outside our state, and outside our nation and on those who simply wish to wreak havoc in our daily lives. Certainly, threats of this nature to anyone, or any group, are unacceptable and law enforcement will remain on high alert and continue to take any threat of violence seriously.”

Additionally, records received this week in the investigation of the April 27 bomb threat delivered via email to several persons in the Mountville Borough area revealed that the email account contained several identifiers similar to the account used in the city threats, including originating from Nigeria. The bomb threat was emailed in relation to the rescheduling of the library event, but the event had already been cancelled prior to this day.  The 100 block of East Main Street was closed for about two hours as officers searched the area with nothing suspicious being found. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.