Police blow up suspicious package, later deemed hoax

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Police equipped with a bomb-handling robot blew up a suspicious package outside the Grand Hotel on Tuesday after evacuating two buildings and blocking off a downtown street for about two hours.

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No one was injured and police later said the package was a hoax.

Police spokeswoman Cyndi Barrington said the package was shaped like a shoe box and there was something about it that caused concern, but she wouldn't give details.

"This had enough elements to it to raise it to a higher level," she said.

Police secured the perimeter and surrounded the package with sandbags. The bomb squad then sent in the robot, which used an explosive device to blow it up.

Barrington said the bomb squad and federal authorities would investigate.