Lakeland Library Shuts Down Over Bomb Threat

LAKELAND, FL — The main branch of the Lakeland Public Library was shut down for about two hours Thursday after a man was overheard making a bomb threat.

William John Ammermann was arrested and charged with making a false report involving a bomb/explosion and trespassing, according to Robin Tillett of the Lakeland Police Department.

When police arrived, the 65-year-old Ammermann allegedly placed his backpack on a bench in front of the library, put his hands in the air and walked away from the backpack.

"Officers learned from witnesses that Ammerman had become increasingly belligerent after being asked to leave the adjoining Black & Brew coffee shop located on the library property," Tillett said. "Ammermann had been approaching young females in the business and repeatedly entering and exiting the shop, each time leaving his backpack inside the business. After a final request was made for him to leave the shop, Ammermann stated: 'I’m going to go to the library and wait for the bombs to go off.'”

A library employee, who asked not to be identified, told Patch the incident occurred around 9 a.m. as the library was opening for the day at 100 Lake Morton Drive. The man never went inside of the library.

"Some police officers came in, told us the building was on lockdown right as we were trying to open," the employee said. "We shut down the library, had everybody evacuate. There was a suspicious package outside of the building so they just sealed off the parking lot, had the office staff leave the area, go to an adjacent parking lot and they had the bomb squad come in."

The library re-opened at 11:10 a.m., according to the employee.

Lakeland police said the man was taken into custody while the library was searched "in an abundance of caution." The Tampa Police Department's Bomb Squad assisted Lakeland police.