Aurora police investigating bomb threat against city’s library branches

Aurora police are investigating a bomb threat that was reported Tuesday afternoon against the city’s three public library branches.

Aurora Police Department spokesman Lt. Joseph Howe said police began investigating the threat around 2:30 p.m. and that due to the report everyone was evacuated from the three library branches at 101 S. River St., 555 S. Eola Road and 233 S. Constitution Ave.

The threat was initially targeted at the Santori Public Library at 101 S. River St., police said, with officers deployed to all three library sites.

River Street remains closed in both directions between Cross Street and Benton Street due to the investigation, police said Tuesday afternoon.

The library buildings in Aurora aren’t the only ones dealing with a bomb threat Tuesday in the Chicago area. Evanston police officers responded to the Evanston Public Library in the 1700 block of Orrington Avenue for a report of a bomb threat Tuesday, officials said.

Several libraries across the northern suburbs received bomb threats on Aug. 17 and 20, and while police found no bombs, the libraries responded by shutting down in order to calm shaken employees and patrons.

mejones@chicagotribune.com