Casino Crime Roundup: Tampa’s Hard Rock Casino Evacuated Two Times, Bomb Squad Responds

October 01, 2024

This week, two questionable devices were discovered within hours of one another at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. The Florida gaming facility was evacuated twice temporarily as a safety measure. 

The initial device was discovered prior to midnight on Sunday. The second device was found around noon on Monday. 

The initial device was detailed by the Seminole, Florida. Police Department described it as a “basic hidden apparatus made with fireworks parts.” It was seen in a bathroom. 

According to Florida TV station WFLA, this resulted in a partial evacuation of the casino. Authorities disabled the apparatus. 

The casino reopened around three hours later, and guests were permitted to enter again. 

The second device was found in a different bathroom. It also resulted in an evacuation, and after the device was deactivated, guests were permitted to return to the property. 

Neither device caused any injuries. 

The Bomb Disposal Team of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office helped disable and take away the devices from the site. 

FBI Summoned 

The FBI has been requested by local police to help with the investigation. Officers additionally examined surveillance footage to assist in recognizing the suspect. 

As of the start of this week, no arrests have been made. The gaming venue is presently accessible. 

The reason why the suspect or suspects put the devices in the restrooms is unclear. 

Rivers Casino Des Plaines Heist 

Four robbers snatched two necklaces from victims outside Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Illinois, early on Monday. 

The masked thieves brandished at least one firearm and directed it at a minimum of two of the victims. 

The victims were inside the gaming establishment and returned to a parked Jeep around 1:45 a.m. 

One of the four victims was a woman, aged 38, from Palatine, Illinois. Another was her spouse, aged 40. 

As the woman neared the vehicle, she noticed someone inside her Jeep Grand Cherokee. One more suspect was outside the car, while two others were in a nearby Volvo. 

In the course of the event, the assailants brandished a firearm and intimidated two of the victims. No bullets were discharged. 

A silver necklace was pulled from the husband, and then the thieves took a necklace from a 28-year-old man in Vernon Hills, Ill. A fourth victim was not mentioned. 

The last sighting of the robbers was when they drove away from the casino in a silver Volvo. They did not take the Jeep.