Bomb threats, suspicious package spur evacuation ahead of a Lancaster drag queen story hour
Police performing a sweep of the Lancaster Public Library found a suspicious package they later deemed to be "benign," according to a city spokesperson.
Police in Lancaster evacuated the city’s public library and some of the blocks surrounding it for a few hours Saturday after a suspicious package was found inside, and bomb threats targeted, the building ahead of a planned drag queen story hour.
The package was discovered just after 9 a.m. by Lancaster City police and Lancaster County Sheriff K9 officers during a planned sweep of the library, according to a statement from a city spokesperson.
Pennsylvania State Police evacuated the building and the businesses surrounding it on Queen Lane as they investigated the parcel. Ultimately, they determined that its contents were “benign,” according to the spokesperson, who said she “cannot speculate on the cause as we do not have confirmation.”
However, not long after, police received what they described as credible bomb threats targeting the 100 block of North Lime Street and the 100 block of North Queen Street in Lancaster, as well as other areas outside of the city.
The evacuation order was expanded to those areas, and residents were asked to shelter in nearby Clipper Magazine Stadium as police investigated. The order was lifted just after 3 p.m., when police said no explosive devices had been discovered and there was no danger to the public.
Lancaster Public Library had planned to cohost the drag queen story hour with Lancaster Pride, a local LGBTQ organization. Its president, Tiffany Shirley, said in an interview Saturday that people in the community were outraged by the threats that forced the event to be canceled.
“This shows we need to step up and give the community more opportunities like this,” she said. “Hate does not live in Lancaster City, and it has no home here.
“It angers me that people say they are protecting the children when they’ve done a terrible, terroristic threat.”
The story hour had been planned months in advance, and marked the first time that Lancaster Pride had partnered with the public library to host the event, according to Shirley. Similar story hours have been organized by the group for years during its annual Pride festival.
The announcement of the event drew rebuke earlier this month from people throughout the area, including Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons, a Republican, who spoke out against the event on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Parsons wrote that “Drag is about adult themes,” and said the story hour was not appropriate for children.
After the bomb threat and evacuations Saturday, Parsons posted about the police response and said he hoped “the perpetrators will be quickly caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
“This is true regardless of whether they actually oppose the drag queen story hour or they support it and are seeking to create outrage against those who oppose it,” Parsons wrote. “The consequences should be the same and extremely serious. Threats of violence have no place in our debates.”
Hours before the event, a group of pastors from nearby churches held a prayer session outside of the Lancaster Public Library, according to WGAL.
The group said they were speaking out against the event because it was inappropriate for children, but made the distinction that they weren’t protesting any individuals involved with it.
“As people of faith, we have to declare and decree biblical principles and it’s God’s standard of living and faith,” Raymond Harrison, pastor of In the Light Ministries, told the station.
Lancaster City police asked that anyone with information about the threats contact them at 717-735-3300.