Flushing Library evacuated after fifth bomb threat in less than two weeks

Police outside the Flushing Library following a bomb threat on Thursday, Oct. 1.  Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

Nearly half a dozen bomb threats have been made against the busy Flushing Library on Main Street over the past several weeks, the Eagle has learned.

Officials said none of the five threats made since late September were deemed credible, but still troubled local leaders.

Police officials did not divulge the details of the threats, nor did they provide information about a motive.

The threats began on Sept. 19, and came again on Sept. 20, Sept. 21, Sept. 24, and Oct. 1, the most recent threat, according to the Queens Public Library.

The Oct. 1 call resulted in an emergency evacuation of the library branch.

Around 1 p.m., library security guards told arriving library patrons that the library was closed as NYPD officers put up caution tape and blocked off the library as a crowd gathered outside.

One man, who wished to remain anonymous, was in the library at the time and said staff cleared everyone out of the building. It was the second time the man had been evacuated from the library that week.

Over the next several minutes, officers from the Emergency Service Unit and Counterterrorism Bureau arrived on scene and entered the library, only to exit and leave the scene a few minutes later as confused locals looked on.

“We notified the NYPD and evacuated the building,” a QPL spokesperson said. “NYPD officers conducted a thorough sweep, determined that the building was safe, and indicated that the threat was not credible. The library was then able to reopen. We also received several similar threats last week, also deemed not credible.”

The NYPD said it takes all threats seriously.

“Each reported threat is assessed and investigated based on the circumstances, and appropriate resources are deployed as necessary to ensure public safety,” the department said, declining to provide more information on specific threats.

Flushing Councilmember Sandra Ung said she was aware of the repeated threats made to the library.

“I am grateful to the New York Police Department for responding to each incident and ensuring the facility is safe, as we all as the library staff for continuing to serve our community under extraordinarily difficult circumstances,” she said. “We must do everything we can to ensure the safety of library patrons and staff while also holding whoever is responsible accountable.”

The councilmember said the threats cause stress in the busy and bustling Flushing neighborhood.

“These bomb threats against the Flushing Library create unnecessary fear and anxiety in our community, disrupt essential services, and take an enormous toll on the dedicated library staff who come to work every day to serve our residents,” she said. “They are unacceptable.”

“The Flushing Library is far more than a place to borrow books, it is at the center of our civic and cultural life,” she added. “It is where students go after school, seniors participate in wellness programs, families introduce their children to reading, and new Americans access the resources and services they need to build better lives for themselves and their families. Every time the library is forced to close, our entire community feels the impact.”