Authorities were called to the Salisbury Walmart early Wednesday morning after a suspicious item was discovered.
According to law enforcement, the item was found inside the store, located off South Arlington Street and near Interstate 85. It was closed to customers at the time and employees were evacuated by Walmart management.
The Cabarrus County bomb squad, which responds to surrounding counties on suspicious package calls, is assisting Salisbury police and firefighters and Rowan County EMS.
Shortly before 9:15 a.m., a large boom was heard as the bomb squad disarmed the device the employees found.
Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes says it looked like a pipe bomb but was not anything dangerous.
He added it was disabled in the parking lot by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office’s bomb squad.