UNITED STATES NEWS

False reports of explosives found in a car near a Trump rally spread online

Sep 18, 2024, 9:12 AM

Nassau County Police scan buildings surrounding Nassau Coliseum before the start of a rally featuri...

Nassau County Police scan buildings surrounding Nassau Coliseum before the start of a rally featuring Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement officials on Long Island worked quickly on Wednesday to publicly knock down social media posts falsely reporting that explosives had been found in a car near former President Donald Trump’s planned rally in New York.

The false reports of an explosive began circulating hours before the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, just days after he was apparently the target of a second possible assassination attempt.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said police questioned and detained a person who “may have been training a bomb detection dog,” near the site of the rally and “falsely reported explosives being found.”

Lt. Scott Skrynecki, a spokesperson for the county police, said in follow-up messages that the person, who police have not yet identified, was a civilian and not a member of a law enforcement agency.

He also said the person was not working at or affiliated with the event, which is expected to draw thousands of Trump supporters to the arena that was formerly the home of the NHL’s New York Islanders.

The rally is Trump’s first on Long Island, a suburban area just east of New York City, since 2017.

Earlier Wednesday, Skrynecki and other county officials responded swiftly to knock down the online line claims, which appear to have started with a post from a reporter citing unnamed sources in the local police department.

“False,” Skrynecki texted the AP as the claims spread on X, formerly Twitter.

“No. Ridiculous. Zero validity,” said Christopher Boyle, spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

United States News

Boats destroyed during Hurricane Helene are shown on the Davis Islands Yacht Basin ahead of the pos...

Associated Press

As Milton takes aim at Florida, why is Tampa Bay so vulnerable to hurricanes?

The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton struck Tampa Bay, in 1921, the city was a sleepy backwater of a few hundred thousands people. A century later, it’s among the fastest-growing metropolises in the United States, with more than 3 million people, and highly vulnerable to flooding due to climate […]

17 minutes ago

FILE - The Iron Gate Dam powerhouse and spillway are seen on the lower Klamath River near Hornbrook...

Associated Press

Salmon are swimming freely in the Klamath River for first time in a century after dams removed

HORNBROOK, Calif. (AP) — For the first time in more than a century, salmon are swimming freely along the Klamath River and its tributaries — a major watershed near the California-Oregon border — just days after the largest dam removal project in U.S. history was completed. Researchers determined that Chinook salmon began migrating Oct. 3 […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Michigan gun owner gets more than 3 years in prison for accidental death of grandson

DETROIT (AP) — A man whose loaded, unlocked shotgun was used in the accidental death of his 5-year-old grandson was sentenced Monday to more than three years in prison for violating Michigan’s new gun storage law. “This tragedy was 100% avoidable,” Judge Robert Springstead said. “All you had to do was listen to the people […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Mega Millions tickets will climb to $5, but officials promise bigger prizes and better odds

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The cost of buying a Mega Millions jackpot dream will soon more than double, but lottery officials said they’re confident players won’t mind paying more after changes that will lead to larger prizes and more frequent winners. Lottery officials announced Monday that it will cost $5 to play Mega Millions, […]

1 hour ago

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws from the pocket in the first half of an NCAA college fo...

Associated Press

Judge gives preliminary approval to $2.78 billion settlement designed to pay college athletes

A judge granted preliminary approval Monday to the $2.78 billion legal settlement that would transform college sports by allowing schools to pay players. U.S District Judge Claudia Wilken released an order setting a timeline for a deal that would put millions of dollars into the pockets of college athletes, who can begin making claims later […]

2 hours ago

This combination photo of Michigan Senate candidates shows Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., in Detroit...

Associated Press

A Michigan Senate candidate aims to achieve what no Republican has done in three decades

ROCHESTER, Mich. (AP) — As canvassers for U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers navigate the manicured lawns and gated communities of some of Detroit’s wealthiest suburbs, they walk a fine line in their efforts to convince Republicans disillusioned with Donald Trump to back other GOP candidates next month. Nowhere else in Michigan reflects the state’s recent […]

2 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford joining Arizona Diamondbacks during playoff race

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the thick of the 2024 MLB playoff race and Sanderson Ford is going along on the ride with them.

...

Dr. Shanyn Lancaster, Family & Sports Medicine physician, Midwestern University Comprehensive Care Clinic – Central Phoenix

Exercise is truly your best medicine

“You never slow down, you never grow old”. – Tom Petty

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Here’s how to be worry-free when your A/C goes out in the middle of summer

PHOENIX -- As Arizona approaches another hot summer, Phoenix residents are likely to spend more time indoors.

False reports of explosives found in a car near a Trump rally spread online