BROOKS, Maine — A bomb threat directed toward a restaurant in Brooks has been deemed a hoax, but state police said Tuesday they were continuing their investigation into the matter.
Maine State Police were alerted of an emailed bomb threat targeting Ralph's Cafe, a breakfast and brunch restaurant located on Purple Heart Highway in Brooks, around 11:10 a.m., Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said in a news release.
Maine State Police Bomb Unit troopers and police dog teams responded and cleared the building, which was not open for business Tuesday.
No explosives were found, and Moss said the threat was "deemed to be a hoax." The investigation is ongoing.
It was not immediately clear whether the bomb threat was connected to recent backlash the restaurant's owner has faced over a social media post that has since been deleted, which many claimed was related to the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Multiple users across social media platforms left comments, what appear to be screenshots, and one-star reviews on Yelp claiming the business' owner, Frank Champa, posted on social media, "Hey guy with the bad aim. You had one job," in reference to the assassination attempt.
The legitimacy of the post could not be verified at this time.