Two suspicious devices were discovered within hours of each other this week at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, prompting temporary evacuations of the Florida gaming property as a precaution.
The first device was found just before midnight on Sunday. Described by the Seminole, Fla. Police Department as a “crude concealed device with fireworks components,” it was discovered in a restroom. This led to a partial evacuation of the casino, according to local news station WFLA. The police successfully deactivated the device, and within three hours, the casino reopened, allowing guests to return.
The second device was found in another restroom around noon on Monday. This discovery also resulted in an evacuation. Once again, the device was deactivated, and guests were permitted back into the casino. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in either incident.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Bomb Disposal Team played a crucial role in deactivating and removing the devices. The FBI has been called in to assist local authorities in the ongoing investigation. Surveillance footage is being reviewed to identify the suspect, but as of early this week, no arrests have been made. The Florida gaming property remains open.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, four masked robbers targeted victims outside Rivers Casino Des Plaines in Illinois early Monday. The assailants, wielding at least one gun, confronted the victims outside a parked Jeep Grand Cherokee at approximately 1:45 a.m.
One victim, a 38-year-old woman from Palatine, Ill., and her 40-year-old husband, had just returned to their vehicle when they noticed a person inside the Jeep. Another suspect was outside the vehicle, while two others waited in a nearby Volvo. The suspects brandished a gun, threatening two of the victims but without firing any shots.
During the confrontation, the robbers forcibly took a silver necklace from the husband and another necklace from a 28-year-old man from Vernon Hills, Ill. The identity of a fourth victim was not disclosed. The robbers fled the scene in the silver Volvo, leaving the Jeep behind.
Both the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and Rivers Casino Des Plaines are working closely with law enforcement to ensure the safety and security of their patrons in light of these unsettling events.
