FORT MYERS, Fla. — A suspicious backpack containing a box with wires sticking out caused University Village to shut down on Thursday morning. The Lee County Sheriff's Office says they determined it was not a bomb.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the call came in around 9 a.m. after a maintenance worker with the Village found the backpack.
“It definitely looked and what could be appeared to be a potential bomb," the sheriff said. "This looked real."
Because of this, the ATF also responded. The sheriff said the box inside the backpack was a "personal electronic device," but did not elaborate. Marceno said the device also had wires and buttons.
Through the investigation, they determined it was not a bomb.
Marceno says there were books inside the bag and they were able to identify who it belonged to. They went to the person's home to investigate.
Estero High School was put on a partial lockdown due to the suspicious bag. FGCU also received an alert about the law enforcement presence.
The area has been reopened.
