Layton grocery store evacuated for bomb threat; police continuing search for suspect
Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner
Authorities evacuated a Layton grocery store on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, after an outgoing customer told an incoming customer that there was an explosive device inside the store. After a search, no such device was found.LAYTON — The Layton Police Department is continuing its search for a male individual whose claims of a bomb led to the evacuation of a grocery store in Layton on Monday evening.
According to Lt. Mike Donnelly of the Layton Police Department, authorities were summoned to Smith’s at the intersection of N Fairfield Road and E Gentile Street around 6:45 p.m. Monday after an incoming customer reported being told by an outgoing male individual that there was an explosive device in the store.
“There was a customer walking into the store to go shopping when an adult male, still unidentified as of now, was walking out of the store approached her and basically said … to paraphrase, ‘I wouldn’t go in there; there’s a bomb in the store,'” Donnelly said. “The customer turned around, walked out and called 911.”
He said that officers arrived at the store soon after and organized an evacuation of all employees and shoppers “out of an abundance of caution” in order to investigate the scene.
“We decided that the safest thing to do was evacuate the store (and) contact our county partners at the sheriff’s office for some assistance with their bomb squad,” he said.
Donnelly said the Davis County Bomb Squad responded to the scene and assistance was also provided by one of the Utah Transit Authority Police’s own explosives detection dogs.
“Once we had everybody evacuated, we began the search of the premises,” he said. “That took a couple of hours.”
He said just after 9 p.m. Monday evening, it was determined that there was no device on site and that it would be safe to reopen the store.
“We were able to gather some video surveillance which captured the male that made the comment regarding that,” he said. “We’re still investigating and using our resources to identify him so that we can question him.”
Donnelly said that, as of Tuesday afternoon, the department was still searching for the man who made the comment and that they were using internal resources for identification but may ask for the public’s help in the near future if necessary.
He added that he believes this was an isolated incident based on the information available.
“So far, we haven’t found anything to link it to any of the recent events across the state,” he said. “But we’re exploring all options. But there’s no information to believe that Layton or the rest of our community is in any danger.”
