No 'dangerous devices' found in suspicious package left in store at Streets at Southpoint: police

ByTom George

Sunday, June 1, 2025

No 'dangerous devices' found in suspicious package in Durham mall

Police said the Streets at Southpoint will reopen on Sunday.

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A store at a Durham mall was evacuated on Saturday following reports of a suspicious package.

Durham police said just before 2:30 p.m., officers responded to a call about a suspicious package inside Nordstrom at the Streets at Southpoint.

Police said a metal suitcase was found inside a bathroom in the store. Security at the Mall told officers that they noticed "suspicious actions" from the person who left the suitcase.

Authorities said in the interest of safety, the store was evacuated while the Durham County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad investigated.

After an investigation by the Durham County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad and the FBI, authorities said the suitcase did not contain any dangerous devices.

The Streets at Southpoint will reopen on Sunday.

Eliana Kim told ABC11 she noticed police in the parking lot when she arrived at the mall to shop.

"I looked behind my car, and then there was just like this SUV, it was a kind of brownish grey, and all the doors were open, and police were surrounding it," she said. "And then there were police officers inspecting the car, and then we went inside for 3 hours with friends....Then we got out and tried coming back the way we entered, and they're like, we can't let you through, and we're like, 'what's going on?'

Experts said that with cases like this, law enforcement often brings in a large presence just to be on the safe side.

"You want to lock down and cordon off that section. Right. You want to keep x ray and and bomb squads and K-9 units on standby with mutual aid," Thaddeus Johnson, Council on Criminal Justice. "You never want to move the package. Right? You want to take a picture or mark the area for specialists."

But shoppers are still a little uneasy. Especially since it's the second day in a row, there was a scare at the mall. On Friday, reports of a possible active shooter turned out to be a false alarm after police discovered a person was firing fireworks.

"I think people have a right to be suspicious of things. I think people should trust their instincts, but also be mindful, make sure that you get as many details as possible as possible, because this allows police to make quick adjustments and respond quicker and more efficiently," Johnson said.