Violence threatened across city

CLOVIS — The Clovis Police Department on Wednesday night investigated more than 30 claims of a bomb or mass-shooting about to take place, but none have proved true by 9 p.m.

State police officers said the calls began about “mid-afternoon” and continued for hours.

Threats of planned violence were reported at The Eastern New Mexico News, Wal-Mart, North Plains Mall, Taco Box, Lowe’s grocery store, Plains Regional Medical Center, the Pizza Hut and Dollar General on 21st Street and other locations.

Police asked area residents to stay home, at least until they could trace the source of the threats.

Two calls came to the newspaper, back to back, the first about 8:20 p.m.

“He said, ‘Today is just the beginning and we’re going to shoot people tomorrow,’ ” said The News Copy Editor Jenna Zamie, who took one of the calls.

“He talked about his friend Nathaniel isn’t the only one and that he’s got tons more and the bomb threats and shootings were just the beginning.”

Police on Monday arrested Nathaniel Jouett and charged him with killing two people and injuring four more in a shooting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

Zamie said the man’s voice seemed altered. He made another call seconds after the first with a similar message.

“He said the bomb is going to hit us (the newspaper) too, and he knows where we are. And he said black people, Mexican, little kids — it didn’t matter.”

Perhaps the greatest concern Wednesday night was at the hospital, which evacuated some personnel and locked down all entrances and exits except for the emergency room. Multiple law enforcement vehicles surrounded the hospital and remained much of the evening. The lockdown remained in place at 9 p.m.

The series of incidents also included a report of a man with a gun outside Clovis-Carver Public Library, which was the scene of a deadly shooting on Monday. Clovis Police Capt. Roman Romero said officers determined that man was only walking past the library and he did not have a gun. Police gave him a ride to his destination, Romero said.

Most of the businesses impacted had re-opened by 8 p.m., though the mall closed at least an hour early.

“The citizens of this community are on edge with the recent events, as would be any community,” police said in a news release Wednesday night. “We encourage citizens to report any unusual activity as The Clovis Police Department strives diligently to keep our community safe.”