Suspicious-looking box found at Rexburg LDS temple not a threat to the community, police say
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REXBURG – Police activity at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Rexburg Friday night caused a bit of a stir.
The Rexburg Police Department got a call around 5:45 p.m. about a suspicious box in front of the fence by the entrance to the parking lot on the east side.
Police set up yellow tape, escorted people out of the building and redirected traffic as a safety precaution, according to Assistant Police Chief Gary Hagen. He tells EastIdahoNews.com they brought in the Idaho Falls Police Department’s bomb squad to come and check it out.
After about 10 minutes, they determined it was a box of road flares, which law enforcement often use to direct traffic during emergency situations at night. Hagen says the flares’ appearance could easily be confused with dynamite. Many people put them in their vehicles for emergencies.
Hagen believes the flares had fallen out of the trunk of a vehicle and someone placed it in front of the building so it could easily be found.
If it had been an explosive device, Hagen says the box wasn’t placed in an area that would’ve been very effective.
Rexburg PD is grateful for the bomb squad’s assistance in helping to resolve the issue.