Planet Fitness locations in Daphne, Fairhope, and Mobile receive bomb threats
UPDATE (8:19 p.m.): The Fairhope Police Department released a statement about today’s bomb threat targeting Planet Fitness on Baldwin Square.
“The Planet Fitness in Fairhope, as well as neighboring businesses at Baldwin Square Shopping Center, were evacuated this afternoon due to a bomb threat to the gym franchise,” the FPD said in a Facebook post. “The threat was emailed to a news source citing several locations targeted. The building was cleared by Mobile FBI and is now open.
“It is important to note that many of the Planet Fitness franchises around the country have received similar threats in recent weeks.”
UPDATE (7:10 P.M.): More than one Planet Fitness location in Mobile received a bomb threat, but it should be safe to visit the local franchises, News 5 has learned.
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The Mobile Police Department reportedly investigated each threat and said in a statement to local media “…no evidence of any threat was discovered at the locations.”
Planet Fitness locations in Mobile reportedly received bomb threats this weekend, just like franchises in Daphne and Fairhope.
Bomb threats targeting the franchise have been reported across the country for almost a month.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) — Fairhope police confirmed today that a bomb threat was sent to a local Planet Fitness. It was one of at least three local threats targeting the franchise.
News 5 has learned that the threat arrived in an email to the Baldwin Square fitness center.
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Fairhope police and fire departments responded around 3:30 p.m. and searched the building but found no sign of a bomb, we’ve learned. It reportedly took about two hours to clear the scene.
This bomb threat wasn’t an isolated incident in South Alabama.
News 5 has confirmed that at least three Planet Fitness locations (in Fairhope, Daphne and Mobile) have received bomb threats.
About the backlash against Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness has become a focal point in online discussions during the past month.
The New Hampshire-based fitness center franchisor has particularly received scrutiny on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter.
It seems to have started with a March 11 post on the LibsofTikTok account that said, “Woman in Planet Fitness claims she went into the bathroom and this man who thinks he’s a woman was in there shaving. Why does @PlanetFitness allow men to use the women’s bathroom and invade women’s private spaces??”
The post included a video of a woman sharing her experience just outside a Planet Fitness in Fairbanks, Alaska, and a photo of the person alleged to have been in the Planet Fitness women’s restroom. It has received over 48,000 likes and 11,700 reposts.
LibsofTikTok frequently reposts content from LGBTQ+ people and posts conservative commentary on topical issues.
Since March 11, LibsofTikTok has posted numerous pieces about Planet Fitness, accusing the chain of “putting a mentally ill man’s delusions before women’s safety,” “grooming kids,” and “discriminating against White people.”
These posts, which have been shared, reposted, and inspired thousands of others on different platforms, have sparked a nationwide conversation on women’s rights, transgender rights, and personal safety in private spaces.
Since March 11, the hashtags “#BoycottPlanetFitness” and “#PlanetFitness” have often trended on X.
And Fox News reported that Planet Fitness’ value plunged $400 million after the fallout.
Bomb threats at Planet Fitness locations across the country
Since March 15, Planet Fitness locations across the country have received bomb threats, according to various news outlets.
Locations include Fairbanks; Jackson, Mississippi; Wayne County, Michigan; Providence, Rhode Island; and East Haven and Hamden, Connecticut, according to news reports.
No link has been made between viral social media posts and these bomb threats.
Chaya Raichik, LibsofTikTok’s creator, has said in past interviews that her followers can’t be blamed for bomb threats about topics she covers.
The threats, she has said, could have come from anyone, including rivals who want to silence her content.
This is a developing story. News 5 will update this article as more information becomes available.
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