Instant cooker left at Illinois airport causes scare, police response

SAVOY, Ill. (WTVO) — An unusual object caused a scare at a central Illinois airport on May 14th.

The incident started when an instant cooker was found in a passenger’s checked luggage at the University of Illinois Willard Airport. TSA rejected the carry-on bag, so the person left the cooker on the front curb of the terminal.

The University of Illinois Police responded to the scene after a bystander reported it to airport officials. Within one hour authorities gave the all-clear.

Willard’s Fire Marshall John Cumbee told WCIA it was out of a need for extreme caution that they followed procedure.

“Just leaving anything as simple as a diaper bag or a purse could raise suspicion,” Cumbee said. “While those things happen, again, we have the process to vet what’s going on or where it is and be able to figure it out as to whether it’s actually a threat or not.”

Airport officials said no flights were delayed or disrupted due to the instant cooker and they encouraged people to check the TSA website to see what’s not allowed at airports.

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