Part of Hamilton Place Mall was shut down around 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon after mall security found a suspicious package outside of the Piccadilly entrance.
A preliminary search of the bag by mall security turned up a box of unknown contents. For the sake of security, the Chattanooga Police Department EOD was called in to investigate. As a precaution, the area was sealed off and emergency services were called in.
The EOD unit sent in a bomb sniffing K-9 and determined that there were no explosives present in the shopping bag.
Further examination of the bag turned up sales papers, an empty box and other shopping paraphernalia. It is unknown who left the shopping bag or why, but no further police action will be taken in this incident.