No bomb in Downtown restaurant

Thursday, July 8, 2010
By Anthony Fenech, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Downtown McDonald's restaurant has reopened after a bomb threat was reported earlier this afternoon.

"Someone called in a threat telling everyone to get out of the building," said Zone 2 police Sgt. William Gorman. "Nothing was found."

Sgt. Gorman said a bomb-sniffing dog did a walk through with the manager of the restaurant at the corner of Liberty Avenue and Stanwix Street and found nothing.

Carl Fisher, a security guard at nearby Gold's Gym, said that about 4:30 p.m., while he was waiting in line to place an order, a manager ordered the restaurant to be evacuated, saying that someone called three times and said there was a bomb in the building.

"The manager kicked everyone out, saying that we all had to leave," said Mr. Fisher, 43, of West Mifflin.

About five minutes later, he said, city and Port Authority police arrived.

Patrons and workers waited outside until the building was reopened at 4:58 p.m.