Tyler

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

Banking stopped for about an hour at the four Kelly Community Federal Credit Unions in Tyler Friday as investigators searched each location for an explosive device.

The searches were conducted after a caller phoned in an unspecific threat to the local credit union stating that a bomb had been placed.

Tyler Fire Assistant Chief David Shlottach said two of the department’s engines, two district chiefs and fire investigators responded in Tyler and two Smith County fire departments and the sheriff’s office responded to the two locations outside the city limits.

Kelly Community Federal Credit Union President Scott Rose said the ordeal began shortly after 12:30 p.m. when an unknown person called the main number of the credit union and said there was a bomb.

“They said there was a bomb in the credit union and that’s all that was said. Unfortunately we didn’t know which branch they were talking about so that is why we had to evacuate each one and search them,” he said.

Rose said the incident lasted about 90 minutes and during that time the buildings were searched from top to bottom and outside.

“When this kind of thing happens everything grinds to a halt and it becomes quite a disruption,” he said. “Unfortunately we’ve been robbed about three or four times since I came here. This isn’t the same thing, but we have procedures to deal with these kinds of things and we did a pretty good job today.”

Outside the branch location on Texas Highway 31 West, customers pulled up asking if the bank was closed.

When they learned why authorities had the location blocked off they asked about their money.

“Oh no,” one woman exclaimed. “Are they going to open back up? I need some money so I can go grocery shopping.”

Another man pulled into the parking lot after fire officials gave the all clear looking at the officers.

“Is the bank open? Because this doesn’t sit well with me,” he said looking at all of the sheriff’s deputies.

Tyler Fire Investigator Paul Finley said he was working the case for the city and it appeared to be a terroristic threat and the person responsible could face third-degree felony state charges and could face federal charges.

“I’m still digging and looking into some things,” he said. “There have been no altercations in the past few days with customers and no employees who have been recently terminated. So we are looking back a little further.”

Finley said the woman who answered the phone said the caller was a male and sounded as if he was trying to disguise his voice.

“We don’t have a lot right now, but we have been watching surveillance video for the past few weeks, we’re still working on a phone trace and we are interviewing people,” he said.

Shlottach said the cost associated with the bogus call was nothing compared to the possibility of someone needing help and that help being tied up on a bomb threat.

“My bigger concern than the cost of the crew being there is that the potential to deliver service to a true need could be hampered. If engine 10 is sitting on a bomb threat and there is a car wreck in front of Station 10 then there is going to be a substantial delay in getting there. It puts all of the citizens in jeopardy when someone does something like this,” he said.

Anyone with information about the bomb threat is asked to contact the Tyler Fire Department at 903-535-0005 or the Tyler/Smith County Crimestoppers at 903-597-2833.

Members of the Dixie Fire Department and Smith County Sheriff's office emerge from the Kelly Community Federal Credit Union branch on Highway 31 after a bomb threat was deemed a hoax when no device was found.
((Staff Photo By Herb Nygren Jr.))