EchoSense:Drag queen story hour canceled at Lancaster Public Library over package, bomb threats

The EchoSenseLancaster Public Library in Lancaster, Pennsylvania cancelled its Drag Queen Story Time after it received a suspicious package and bomb threats via email, according to a press release.

"These threats trigger costly responses and stretch our resources thin, leaving our community vulnerable to genuine emergencies," said Lancaster Police Chief Richard Mendez in a statement. "Bomb threats will not be tolerated, and we are committed to identifying and prosecuting those responsible."

The Lancaster Public Library planned on doing a Drag Queen Story Hour, where drag queens read books to young readers, On Saturday. Miss Amie Vanité, who started Pennsylvania's first Chapter of Drag Story Hour in 2018, was supposed to read to children at the library.

"Join Miss Amie Vanité as she spreads awareness and acceptance by celebrating diversity, inclusiveness, kindness and love through LGBTQ+ literature for young readers.," states the library's event page.

According to multiple Facebook posts from Lancaster Pride and Lancaster Public Library, however, that never happened.

"We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, the Lancaster Pride event: Drag Story Hour with Miss Amie in collaboration with the Lancaster Public Library has been canceled," states the Facebook post from Lancaster Pride, the organization that worked with the library to create the event.

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Police discover suspicious package at library

At 9:19 a.m., during a preplanned sweep of the location, Lancaster City Police K-9 and Lancaster County Sheriff Deputy K-9 alerted their handlers to a suspicious package in the library. It caused the entire block to close and businesses near the library were notified of the possible threat, states the release.

The police department received emails stating that there were multiple explosive devices planted near the library, but the police station says no explosive devices were found.

USA TODAY reached out to the Lancaster Library but has not been able to get in touch.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz.