After bomb threat, Milford Planet Fitness closed four hours
Site was one of several nationwide targeted
The Milford Police Department responded to a bomb threat at Planet Fitness on Saturday, an incident that joined dozens of threats to gyms nationwide.
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After bomb threat, Milford Planet Fitness closed four hours
Site was one of several nationwide targeted
By Elle WoodMILFORD — The Milford Police Department responded to a bomb threat at Planet Fitness on Saturday, an incident that joined dozens of threats to gyms nationwide.
“We, and several law enforcement agencies in the state, received an email regarding a bomb threat to several Planet Fitness locations, one of them being the one here in Milford,” said public information officer Sgt. Timothy Maloney. “This prompted us to go out and contact the management at Planet Fitness.
“Then, we evacuated the building, as well as some of the other buildings next to that” and about a third of The Plaza at Milford shopping center’s parking lot.
He added that the threat was received around 4:25 p.m., and the closure lasted about four hours.
The gym joins several other stores in the North Dupont Boulevard strip mall, including Aldi, Goodwill and Little Caesars.
“We contacted Delaware State Police, Capital police and the New Castle County Police Department, (which) sent out the K-9 that searched the buildings,” said Sgt. Maloney. “They were able to deem that there were no bombs present, and everything was safe.”
The Milford facility was among about 30 Planet Fitness sites across the country to receive a threat, he said. Those included the establishment in Ocean City, Maryland.
Following the incidents, various news outlets nationwide reported that the threats were part of a boycott to the company’s transinclusive locker room policies. The situation began in Fairbanks, Alaska, after a Planet Fitness member there reached out to management with a complaint of a man shaving in the women’s bathroom, reports note.
The issue escalated on social media after the account “Libs of TikTok” posted a video March 11 of the Fairbanks member expressing her complaint. It included a photo of a person shaving in the women’s locker room.
The same account continued to post videos and updates, plus email chains between the member and Planet Fitness about its locker room regulations.
In one video, the gym patron explains that her membership had been revoked.
In response, Planet Fitness released a statement explaining its policies and the reasoning behind the membership cancellation. Its leaders explained that she violated policy by taking photos of other members in the locker room.
The statement went on to explain that any rules the company has in place are to “foster a climate of understanding,” according to news reports.
A suspect in the bomb threats has not been named, Sgt. Maloney said.
