Police: Downtown Roanoke bomb threat suspect is known, no arrests made yet

ROANOKE, Va. – UPDATE

Employees are returning to the building. 

The reported bomb threat came in at around 10:30 a.m. Friday, and a lot of people inside the SunTrust building had just started their day.

Officers determined the threat was made by a customer over the phone to an employee at the bank. Bank employees pulled the fire alarm to evacuate the entire building, as a precaution. 

The suspect is known and is not local to the Roanoke Valley. No one has been arrested at this time. 

At one point, a police K9 was searching outside the building. 

Parts of Jefferson Street, Church Avenue, Williamson Road and Franklin Road were blocked off for about 45 minutes while police investigated. 

One employee who was inside the building when the threat came in, said that at first, they didn't know what was happening. 

"We were working inside the SunTrust building when the fire alarms went off...and we weren't told anything as to why we were leaving. Figured it was a fire drill," said Jim McHenry. "It's a little shocking and unnerving based on everything else going on in the country, sure."

Police cleared the building and allowed people back in. 

ORIGINAL STORY

The SunTrust building in downtown Roanoke is being evacuated due to an alleged bomb threat. 

Parts of Jefferson Street, Franklin Road, and Church Avenue are closed. 

People are asked to avoid the area. 

Employees have moved into Elmwood Park, where the Strawberry Festival is underway. 

This is a developing story. 10 News has a crew there to learn more.