In Lawton, southwest Oklahoma, the Comanche Nation Casino was evacuated on Saturday afternoon while authorities looked into a bomb threat. Police said the incident seems to be part of a trend of similar threats against casinos and public buildings around the region in recent days, even tho an ensuing search of the site confirmed the call was a fake.

At least three other casinos in the region, including the tribe's Red River Casino and Kiowa Casino as well as a site run by the Chickasaw, were also targeted, according to Comanche Nation Police Chief John Journeycake.

These threats proved to be untrue in each instance. Journeycake stated that he thot the crimes were related and that the FBI was helping with the inquiry because the casinos are situated on tribal ground.

Methodical Search

According to local media accounts, the bomb threat was received at the Comanche Nation Casino shortly before noon. Law enforcement acted swiftly to secure and evacuate, removing customers and employes off the gaming floor and limiting access to the facility.

According to The Lawton Constitution, police cars blocked the casino's doors as officers thoroughly searched the structure and its surroundings. As a safety measure, lanes were closed and cars were rerouted, reducing traffic on surrounding roads throughout the reaction.

Before granting the all-clear, officers using bomb-sniffing dogs performed exterior and interior walkthroughs of the casino. Soon later, the casino reopened.

Due of the high foot activity on the premises, police said they handled the event quite cautiously. With a 36,000 square foot casino floor and 600 to 700 gaming machines, the Comanche Nation Casino is one of the bigger tribal gaming venues in southwest Oklahoma, despite not having a hotel adjacent. The property is a major entertainment destination in the area because it has restaurants and a brewery.

Targeted Hospitals

In addition to casinos, there have been numerous reports of fake threats to public institutions in Oklahoma, such as government buildings and hospitals.

Among these is the Duncan Regional Hospital, which is roughly 30 minutes away by car from the Comanche Nation Casino. According to KSWO, it got its second bomb threat in four days on Wednesday morning. Whether police believe these cases are connected has not been disclosed.

False threats can put a burden on emergency resources and result in severe criminal fines, law enforcement officials have warned. Making a fake bomb threat is illegal in Oklahoma and is punishable by jail time and fines.