Knoxville, TN- On Thursday, September 22, 2022, at around 9:20 p.m., KPD officers responded to an alleged bomb threat at the Regal Riviera on Gay Street. The initial calls were that a man had left a suitcase that possibly contained a bomb, which proved to be entirely false.

Responding officers determined that a man did enter the theater with a suitcase, but it was searched prior to admission into the theater, per Regal policy. Nothing suspicious was found and the man was allowed to enter. At some point after this, somebody reportedly yelled that there was a bomb in theater five, effectively causing the people inside the theater to panic and run out of the theater.

Officers quickly arrived at the theater, which had been evacuated. Officers cleared theater five and did not find anything suspicious. Additional officers responded as well and cleared the remainder of the Regal without finding anything suspicious.

One patron fell while trying to exit the theater and had minor injuries that did not require medical treatment.