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BREAKING: Springfield Town Center evacuated for reported bomb threat

By Angela Woolsey
Sign outside vehicle entrance for Springfield Town Center (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Springfield Town Center has been evacuated in response to a bomb threat.

Officers were dispatched to the mall (6500 Springfield Mall) at around 4:28 p.m. today (Tuesday) after an unknown person called in a threat, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

The caller reportedly used a voice distortion device and claimed that the mall would be targeted by bombs and other potential acts of violence, according to scanner traffic.

All available units in the area responded to Springfield Town Center, which was evacuated as specialized officers swept the premises for potential threats. Store employees were also directed to exit the mall, and police blocked traffic from entering the property.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the mall has been evacuated as our [Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit] conducts a search,” the FCPD said. “Please avoid the area.”

Though scanner traffic suggests the scene was initially “a mess” as officers tried to get traffic under control, video shared on social media by DMV Live around 5:15 p.m. showed people trickling out calmly, as FCPD vehicles cruised through the mall parking lot.

Located just east of I-95, Springfield Town Center is anchored by Macy’s and Target. It’s also home to a Regal Cinemas, Dave & Busters, a variety of restaurants and the region’s only Lego Discovery Center.

JCPenney shuttered its store at the mall in May after 53 years in business.

About the Author

  • Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.