Two bomb squads were called to the Rolla Post Office Thursday after local first responders received word that a suspicious package had been located.

Two bomb squads were called to the Rolla Post Office Thursday after local first responders received word that a suspicious package had been located.

A person of interest was being questioned in connection with the package by law enforcement authorities Thursday evening as of The Rolla Daily News’ deadline, according to Lt. Rick Williams, interim chief of the Rolla Police Department.

The Rolla Police Department was notified by a 911 call around 3 p.m. regarding a suspicious package that had been discovered in the mail at the post office.

According to City of Rolla Fire and Rescue Chief Robert Williams, the package was placed in one of the outside mailbox receptacles on Park Street. The package was brought inside and discovered during sorting, the fire chief said.

An initial investigation revealed that “during the course of sorting the mail this (Thursday) afternoon, a postal employee located a suspiciously wrapped package which was believed to possibly be an explosive device, in the mail,” a news release from the RPD stated.

Robert Williams said the package was described as a little larger than a cellphone with lots of tape poorly wrapped around it.

Rick Williams said a photo of the package was taken and sent out to officers. One officer recognized the package being carried by an individual previously, Rick Williams said. That person was located and taken in for questioning.

The package was later brought to the outside rear loading dock facing Seventh Street.

The post office building located between Seventh and Eighth streets and Park and State streets was evacuated, as were the surrounding businesses and streets. A perimeter was established around the building.

The Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit from Fort Leonard Wood along with the Bomb Disposal Unit from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) both responded to the post office to assist in this investigation.

A command post was set up for first responders and the bomb squads in the parking lot of US Bank.

This incident is still under investigation by the Rolla Police Department’s criminal investigations unit, the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office, the MSHP and the FBI.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Rolla Police Department’s division of criminal investigations unit at 573-308-1213, or they can call the RPD confidential tip line at 573-364-0111.

Agencies assisting in this investigation were the patrol’s division of drug and crime control, the Missouri University of Science and Technology Police Department and the City of Rolla Fire and Rescue.