Bomb threat shuts down Mallory Square dock as a Navy K-9 unit sweeps the pier

Key West’s famous seaside attraction, Mallory Square, was closed to the public Wednesday morning because of a bomb threat, city officials said.

The FBI was notified and a K-9 unit from Naval Air Station Key West swept the pier, where cruise ships dock and street performers fill the square at the daily Sunset Celebration.

Navy spokeswoman Trice Denny said they got a call from Key West police at 8:15 a.m. and had swept the area by 9:15 a.m.

The pier was found to be safe and the public was allowed in at about midday, according to a text City Manager Jim Scholl sent to other city officials.

Scholl later said the threat - which was made to the police department - was classified as a hoax.

“The police have done some more investigative work,” Scholl said. “They had the FBI involved and they determined it wasn’t a local call. It was either a phone call or some type of social media posting from a phone. The phone call wasn’t local.”

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 3:10 PM.