Suspicious Package Closes Columbia Shopping Center, Turns Out to be Tools

Technician Eugene Harris was working on the drive-through ATM at , his turquoise tool case at his side.

But when he accidentally left it behind earlier this afternoon, someone called 911 at 4 p.m. reporting a suspicious package. The bomb squad, fire department and police department were called in to the bank, located on Old Dobbin Lane, to investigate.

Harris' bag was the source of the alarm.

“It had things in there that [officials] were concerned about,” said police.

Meanwhile, Harris was on a run to Greenbelt to pick up a missing part for the bank’s ATM, which was having issues with the “deposit check” function, he said.

The bank got in touch with Harris, who identified the bag.

When he returned, emergency personnel “had cordoned everything off—they wouldn’t let anybody in either way,” he said. Bank of America is in a Columbia shopping center that also houses Chipotle and Petco, among other stores.

“They had the command center over there,” Harris said, looking to the other side of Old Dobbin Lane where emergency officials had been stationed an hour before. “[It was] just like it was the real thing.”