LANCASTER, Pa. — The source of the bomb threats that targeted the Lancaster Public Library and others in relation to a Drag Queen Story Hour in March originated from Africa, according to an investigation conducted by the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office and the city's Bureau of Police.
Investigators are still trying to determine the identity of the person or persons who sent the threatening emails, authorities said on Monday.
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, county authorities said.
The emailed threats were sent around noon on March 23, and threatened detonation at 1:30 p.m., investigators said. The threats targeted the library, a LNP reporter, and the leader of Lancaster Pride.
Before the emailed threats arrived, a pre-planned sweep of the Lancaster Public Library, two K-9 officers alerted their handlers to a suspicious package during a pre-planned sweep of the building.
The package was addressed to a library staff member with a returned address to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The K-9 alerts prompted the response of the Pennsylvania State Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal. Additionally, there were some inconsistencies in the labeling that raised suspicion, authorities said at the time.
It was later learned the staff member was expecting a package from the USDA containing coloring books. The package did contain the items listed by the staff member.
The threatening emails, which arrived a few hours later, forced the cancellation of the Drag Queen Story Hour and the evacuation of the 100 block of North Queen Street and
Police eventually cleared the area after another search for explosive devices by bomb-sniffing K-9 officers came up empty, investigators said.
Authorities said they immediately opened an investigation into 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," the District Attorney's Office concluded. "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."
According to the District Attorney's Office, the local people and organizations that were targeted by the threats had all appeared in area media coverage after a pre-planned sweep of the Lancaster Public Library led to the discovery of a suspicious package, which later determined to not be a threat.
“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.”
Authorities said similar threats emailed to several Mountville residents on April 27 contained "several identifiers similar to the account used (in the threats emailed to the Lancaster Public Library and other targets in the city)," and also originated from Nigeria.
The bomb threat was emailed in relation to the rescheduling of the library event, but the event had already been cancelled, the District Attorney's Office said.
The 100 block of East Main Street in Mountville was closed for about two hours as officers searched the area with nothing suspicious being found, authorities said.