Update 1:18 p.m.: The situation at Walmart has been cleared, and the store is open for business once again. Initial reports suggesting the individual was a former employee were inaccurate. Current information from Sahuarita PD indicates that an employee may have recognized the individual as a previous customer.
Officers are actively seeking a person of interest who was heard making a comment about a bomb before exiting the store.
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Sahuarita police are responding to an incident at the Walmart located at 18680 S. Nogales Highway in Green Valley after a former employee allegedly made a statement referencing a bomb before leaving the store.
In a statement to KGUN, the Sahuarita Police Department said preliminary information indicates a "potentially disgruntled former employee" made the comment, but officers have not identified a specific threat at this time.
Police said their immediate priorities are to identify and locate the former employee, determine the exact nature of the statement that was made, and conduct a thorough search of the store with Walmart personnel for any suspicious items.
The department said the investigation is ongoing and that more information will be released as it becomes available.
The Walmart Supercenter in Green Valley has been the scene of several high-profile law enforcement incidents in recent years, including an arson investigation that forced the store to evacuate.
In September 2023, Sahuarita Police arrested a 29-year-old Amado man on suspicion of arson after investigators said a fire was intentionally set inside the store's paper products aisle. The blaze filled the building with smoke, prompting the evacuation of shoppers and employees. Firefighters brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, and two people were evaluated for smoke inhalation.
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