Children discover suspicious device in front of Linden convenience store 

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Children were the first to discover a suspicious device last week in front of a Linden, New Jersey convenience store, that led to evacuations and a significant emergency response before police determined it was not an explosive. Authorities say some kids playing outside first noticed the device, which was attached to a phone booth outside Quick Buy Food Store owned by an Indian-American.

Law enforcement evacuated two nearby apartment buildings, and after determining the package was a hoax, people were allowed to return to their homes about an hour later, nj.com reported.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation to find out who was behind the bomb hoax. It appeared to be connected to a payphone with wires and to have dynamite inside.

The FBI is also involved because an official said the device “looked authentic,” officials told nj.com.

Krunn Patel, a clerk at the convenience store, said the children informed him of the device.

“Some kids came and told us,” he said, with another clerk, Kash Patel, adding they described it as looking like “a little package.”