A suspicious package was discovered Tuesday morning outside the Mall of America before stores opened, but it turned out not to be anything dangerous, authorities said.
The Bloomington bomb squad was called in after a mall security officer found the package shortly after 8:30 a.m. while making regular checks on his bicycle, said police Cmdr. Kevin Herman.
The package had wires protruding and was found in a trash can along the road on the west side of the mall, Herman said.
"Somebody had thrown away some old electronics," Herman said.
The west side of the mall was closed for a brief time until the all-clear was given, he said.
"We're always vigilant," whether or not there's a major incident like Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon, Herman said. "It's always on our radar that something can happen here."
Herman declined to say whether additional security measures have been put in place since the marathon bombings.
"All we ask is your faith that we're working on it," he said, referring to security in general.
