A former employee of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was arrested Saturday after allegedly walking into the Manhattan hospital and claiming he had a bomb in his bag, triggering a large police response before authorities determined the threat was a hoax.
Police sources told the New York Post that the man entered the hospital’s York Avenue campus on the Upper East Side shortly after noon and began acting erratically.
Threat made inside hospital
According to law enforcement sources, the incident unfolded around 12:05 pm when the former staff member arrived at the facility and reportedly told people nearby, “I have a bomb in my bag.”
The alarming statement prompted security concerns at the hospital, one of the nation’s leading cancer treatment and research centers. Authorities were alerted and emergency responders were dispatched to the scene.
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Officials described the man as an emotionally disturbed person, though further details about his identity or his previous role at the hospital were not immediately released.
Bomb squad called to investigate
Officers from the New York City Police Department responded to the situation, and the department’s bomb squad was sent to examine the suspected device.
Investigators ultimately determined that the threat was not real. Police sources said the man was not carrying an explosive device but instead had a cement statue inside his bag.
Once the bag was inspected and no explosives were found, authorities concluded the bomb claim was a hoax.
Suspect taken into custody
Following the investigation, the man was taken into custody at the hospital. Officials have not yet confirmed what charges he may face.
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The incident caused alarm at the busy medical center in New York City, though authorities did not immediately say whether hospital operations were disrupted during the response.
As of Saturday evening, police had not released additional information about the suspect or the circumstances that led to the bomb threat claim.