Columbia Regional Airport temporary evacuated after report of ‘suspicious item’ in luggage

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department evacuated the Columbia Regional Airport after the TSA screened a "suspicious item" in a piece of luggage.

Just before 2 p.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a report of a suspicious item. The suspicious item had been found by Transportation Security Administration staff on the scanner. 

When CPD got to the airport, officers evacuated the front terminal. Passengers on incoming flights remained boarded until the airport was deemed safe by TSA staff.

The owner of the item was detained and briefly questioned. After more investigation, officers say there was no threat of safety to passengers or the COU airport staff, and the owner of the package was released without charges.

"The Columbia Regional Airport would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and patience while TSA explosive specialists and CPD officers investigated this incident, We take the safety of our passengers and staff very seriously and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect everyone from any potential harm." 

Mike Parks, Columbia Regional Airport Manager.

ABC17 News crews on the scene said there were a few police cruisers on the scene when they arrived at 2:30 p.m. Some passengers told ABC17 News they weren't aware of what was going on or caused the evacuation.