Hamilton police did not make an arrest after a reported shooting threat forced shoppers from a Kroger on Sunday, with officers finding no weapon and interviews failing to support the initial report. Police responded to the Main Street store at about 4.00pm on 9 August after an employee reported that a shopper had threatened to open fire inside the supermarket.
Police Found No Weapon After Kroger Evacuation
Officers cleared the store after arriving, while Kroger employees helped move customers outside as police searched for the person linked to the report. Police later found the person of interest and interviewed those involved, with Chief Trent Chenoweth confirming that officers found no gun and no threat to anyone.
Chenoweth said a shopper had left a comment to an employee, who then reported it to a manager, prompting the emergency response. Police made no arrest, no shots were fired, and officers reported no injuries. The store remained closed for nearly two hours before reopening at about 6.00pm after police completed their search.
Kroger lists the Hamilton Meadows store at 1474 Main Street on the city's west side. The location includes a supermarket, a pharmacy and a fuel centre.
Police Chief Says Threat Did Not Hold Up
Chenoweth said interviews showed the reported threat did not hold up, describing the original comment as having been blown out of proportion. Police still treated the report as a possible shooting threat, evacuating the store and searching the building while employees moved shoppers outside.
The report passed from the employee to store management before police arrived, with officers treating it as a possible armed threat until they identified the person involved and checked the store. Chenoweth said the response drew nearly every available police unit in Hamilton, with another incident on the city's east side also requiring officers at the time.
The city says Hamilton police serve more than 62,000 residents, and Chenoweth said the Kroger response strained department resources despite the lack of injuries. He said officers had to act on the information they received, as initial reports described a possible shooter or shooting threat inside the store. After interviews, police said they found no weapon and no active threat, with those findings leading to no arrest at the scene.
No Arrest, No Charges After Kroger Shooting Threat Collapses
Police had not announced an arrest or charges as of Monday, with the department continuing to ask anyone with information to contact its main desk. Police located the person of interest but said interviews did not support the reported threat, and authorities also reported no gunfire or injuries.
The store reopened after officers cleared the location, with police confirming they found no gun, weapon or threat to anyone. The incident began with a comment reported by a store employee, not confirmed gunfire, but police still treated the call as a possible shooting threat while officers checked the report.
Chenoweth said officers responded as they would to a real threat, noting the strain such calls can place on the department when several incidents happen at once. Police have not publicly identified the person of interest and have not announced further enforcement action linked to the report.
The Hamilton Police Department asked anyone with additional information to call 513-868-5811, the number the city lists as the department's general line. The case remained without an arrest in the latest public update, with police saying interviews did not substantiate the threat and no further police action was announced by Monday in connection with the incident.
