Bomb group gives everything ‘clear’ after a Queens shopping center was evacuated over reports of a suspicious Tesla-containing propane tank
- Queens Place Mall evacuated due to reports of a suspicious vehicle
- The city’s bomb squad is at the scene and is allegedly investigating a Tesla
- Tesla is said to have two propane tanks connected to a battery
- Scene photos and photographs show a large presence of the police, as authorities block roads and lead foot traffic from the area
New York City investigators have made everything clear after reports of a “Tesla-containing propane tank” near a mall caused the area to evacuate.
The Queens Place Mall was evacuated Monday morning after authorities received a call around 8:30 a.m. about the suspicious vehicle parked along Queens Boulevard.
Videos and photos have a large presence of emergency personnel on 56th Avenue and Queens Blvd.
The bomb squad of the NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau examined the vehicle and gave the ‘everything clear’ just before 10:30.
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New York City investigators have made everything clear after reports of a “Tesla-containing propane tank” near a mall caused the area to evacuate
Images from the Citizen app show fire trucks and several police cars at the scene while authorities investigate
According to NBC, the vehicle with stolen license plates asked bystanders to dial 911 after seeing a small can at the back of the vehicle.
There was also a Black Lives Matter sign attached to the can. The authorities are still looking for the driver.
Initial reports indicated that the can may have contained explosives.
Officials continue to call on New Yorkers to use alternative routes due to road closures and to divert foot traffic from the scene.
An NYPD spokesman confirmed the ongoing investigation into the Queens Place Mall, but said no other information about the incident was immediately available.
The incident occurred just two weeks after an RV exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day and amid an increase in crime in New York City.
Officials continue to call on New Yorkers to use alternate routes due to road closures and to continue to divert foot traffic from the scene
In Nashville, suspect Anthony Q. Warner, 63, died of suicide during the blast when he detonated the bomb while in the RV.
The bombing took place early in the morning when there was little activity in the city, and an automatic message emanating from the vehicle warning that there was a bomb enabled the police to evacuate people.
More than 40 businesses were damaged in the blast and at least eight people were injured. Warner is the only known death.
Meanwhile, New York City has seen an increase in crime.
According to statistics released Friday, New York City saw a 97 percent increase in shootings and a 45 percent increase in homicides.
This is the largest increase since 2011. The number of people shot has more than doubled in 2019, a 14-year high.
The NYPD reported 462 murders across the city by 2020. This is a difference of 143 compared to 2019.
The shooting also included 1,531 incidents involving firearms in New York City. That is 754 more than in 2019, officials said.