Cops: Disgruntled gym member in Phila. causes bomb scare
PHILADELPHIA - A disgruntled gym member caused a bomb scare at a Planet Fitness in Philadelphia early Thursday morning, police said, according to CBSPhilly.
The incident began when a gym member, who was unhappy with his membership, got into an argument with employees and threatened to blow up the business, police said.
The member reportedly then left, but returned hours later and again got into a verbal confrontation with several employees. This time, the man left the building, but he left a military-style canister outside the building that had a label that read: “Danger, Do Not Open,” reports the station.
Gym employees spotted the package and called 911.
Police and the bomb squad responded to the scene and later determined the device was not an explosive.
The suspect, who lives a short distance from the gym, was taken into police custody, CBS Philly reported.
A gym employee said the man was a fairly new member of the gym.
“He’s a nice guy but, you just don’t know how to take him. What he did tonight, it really threw everybody off. So that made everybody a little scared,” Planet Fitness employee Robert Cooper told the station.
Employees say they don't know what exactly led up to the incident, but they did say the suspect’s gym membership was being canceled even before he made any threats.
His identity was not immediately released.