Special to Iredell Free News

Iredell County Sheriff’s Office investigators are trying to identify a man as part of an investigation into a bomb threat toward the Iredell County Courthouse and the District Attorney’s Office.

About 2 p.m. on Tuesday, a staff member at the Iredell County Clerk of Court’s Office received a phone call from an individual who stated there were explosive devices in the Iredell County Courthouse and the District Attorney’s Office.

The caller also made statements to the staff member, referencing that he had placed these explosive devices in both buildings due to a family member recently being sentenced to prison, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

When the phone call was received, there were over 100 citizens and employees inside both buildings.

ICSO deputies and criminal investigators immediately responded to the two locations and evacuated the Hall of Justice and District Attorney’s Office buildings.

Once the buildings were secured, the sheriff’s office utilized Explosive Detection Canines to search the buildings to locate any explosives. After a thorough search, deputies determined there were no explosive devices present, and both buildings were deemed safe for citizens and employees to re-enter.

Investigators interviewed the person who received the phone call and other witnesses at the scene. The investigators determined the phone call came in on a voiceover IP number, meaning the call came from an electronic device utilizing public Wi-Fi signal. The Wi-Fi signal originated at a business on North Center Street.

Criminal Investigators immediately responded to the business and gathered video surveillance footage of a white male throwing a handheld computer tablet into a dumpster. The tablet was recovered and is currently being processed for evidence. Investigators then went to another business across the street and obtained even more video footage of this same person.

In the video a man walks to the parking lot of the courthouse. He gets into a light-colored SUV and drives away before responding deputies secured the area.

If you know this person or have seen the suspect vehicle, please call the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office at 704-878-3100.