Businesses, highway temporarily closed after bomb threat made

By Eddie West

Staff Writer

Gordonsville Highway/Highway 53 and four businesses in Gordonsville were temporarily shut down over the weekend, following a bomb threat.

The bomb threat was received at the Gordonsville McDonalds restaurant shortly after 6 p.m., Saturday.

After receiving the call, a McDonalds employee contacted the Gordonsville Police Department to report the incident.

Gordonsville Officer Dustin Holder was on duty and responded to the scene.

Officer Holder contacted Police Chief Shannon Hunt.

While police were en  route to the scene, the business received a second call in which the caller said they would be calling back with further instructions, Chief Hunt said.

Businesses including McDonalds, Quality Inn Motel, Exxon Convenience Market and Subway were evacuated.

Traffic along Gordonsville Highway/Highway 53 was also closed, as well as the West bound entrance and exit ramps to Interstate 40.

The East bound ramps remained open, but motorists could not turn north  on Gordonsville Highway after exiting the interstate.

Chief Hunt said he contacted the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s office in an effort to have the agency’s Bomb and Arson Unit, which includes bomb sniffing canines with handlers, respond to the scene.

The unit had been dispatched to Memphis where law enforcement was concentrated because of growing tensions with the city’s police department in connection the death of Tyree Nichols.

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