After Third Bomb Threat In Five Days, More Questions Than Answers

The third bomb threat in five days struck Nantucket's Main Street Saturday night, once again prompting a significant police response that resulted in blocked streets, evacuated sidewalks, and shuttered businesses. 

Shortly after the island's largest summer event - the Boston Pops concert at Jetties Beach - concluded Saturday evening, Nantucket Police received a call from an individual claiming they intended to place an "improvised explosive device" at the Ralph Lauren store at 16 Main Street. That location was also the target of the bomb threat last Tuesday and the subsequent bomb threat last Friday.

While Saturday night's incident concluded like the others - with nothing found by a Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad - the incident left more questions than answers, and mounting frustration among downtown business owners and island residents over the situation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has now joined the Nantucket Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police in investigating the bomb threats. Still, they have not said whether there are any suspects, leads, or other information that could help identify those responsible.

On Saturday night, Nantucket Police quickly secured a perimeter around the Ralph Lauren store and ordered nearby businesses, including the Gaslight and the Club Car, to close. This time, however, members of the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad were already on the island for the Boston Pops concert, so they were able to complete a search far more quickly than the previous two incidents, in which they had to be transported to Nantucket from the mainland. On Saturday, Main Street was reopened within an hour of the initial report.

"Members of the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, who were already on island for another event, were able to respond immediately," Nantucket Police Chief Jody Kasper stated in a press release. "The area was thoroughly searched and no explosive device was located. Responders cleared the scene at 11:34 p.m. This was a false report, but we take every threat seriously. We appreciate the quick coordination between all involved agencies, and we thank the public for their patience and cooperation during the response. The case remains open and under investigation by the Nantucket Police Department Detective Unit, the Massachusetts State Police and the FBI."

Kasper did not respond to other questions from the Current about the status of the investigation.

Many island residents have questioned whether the Fisher Real Estate webcam, which is pointed directly at the Ralph Lauren store and provides a livestream of Main Street on YouTube, could be playing some role in the ongoing bomb threats.

Fisher Real Estate voluntarily took down the webcam feed following Friday night's incident, but that did not stop the third bomb threat from happening the following night.

With the investigation ongoing and the potential for more bomb threats, the three incidents over five days have been the talk of the town on Nantucket, with conversations in downtown restaurants and bars turning to speculation regarding the suspect or suspects, as well as their motive.

Why has Ralph Lauren been targeted three times over the past five days, as well as once in March 2024 during a similar incident?

Could the target actually be the nearby businesses that are forced to close when police shut down lower Main Street?

Is the suspect even on Nantucket?

Those were among the questions being asked Sunday night at one downtown establishment.