Officers ensure safety at Blueberry Fest
PLYMOUTH, Ind. – Rumors of a shooting threat during the fireworks at the Marshall County Blueberry Festival have been posted all over social media.
But, law enforcement says the threat had been fully investigated and found to be a lie.
“It’s very sad. It feels like you can’t go to any large event because there’s always that threat and that potential that somebody could do something like that,” said festival visitor Natasha Cummins.
Natasha Cummins says she heard about the threat Sunday night from a text from her friend.
“If we were gonna go, which we weren’t anyways, I would have probably not gone.” she said. “I know a lot of that’s just people playing games, but that’s not something that I wanna risk.”
The Plymouth Police Department sent out a statement on Facebook debunking posts on social media.
In the statement, it says the rumor was “investigated all of the way to the source and found not to be true.”
Sgt. Ryan Hollopeter with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department says the Plymouth Police Department investigated the rumor last week.
“Through their investigation it was deemed to be not a credible threat, and later on we just kind of prepared the best we could just for the event that something like happen,” he said.
More than 40 police officers with several police departments are on hand for security each day of the festival.
Officials say the threat was taken seriously, but as far as a change in procedure there was no need.
“That type of planning, that type of preparation is already in place. That’s not a surprise to law enforcement here. That’s not; it’s not the first time something like that has come up either for that matter. Our departments work together well, the right communication systems are in place, and the tactic planning is prepared for,” said Hollopeter. “This really is one of the safer festivals in Indiana, I do believe that. And it’s because the law enforcement, communication, teamwork that’s put together and the planning that’s put into it.”