Businesses losing thousands of dollars over bomb threat at Planet Fitness

After business owners on Beach Boulevard evacuated their customers from their building on Wednesday, customers didn’t come back, causing owners to lose thousands of dollars.

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“Losing appointments every other day has drastically hurt my businesses financially,” Shunya Williams, owner of Lady S Styles said.

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Williams was forced to evacuate her customers Wednesday due to a third bomb threat at Planet Fitness.

“My business is new here, I just started,” Williams said. “This makes me almost want to cry. I can’t take much more.”

This stressful situation has affected business owner’s wallets. Some of them say they are not able to pay business rent.

Last week, I think I only took home $120. The rest I made when to this building,” Williams said.

The owner of Elite Waxing & Esthetics, Morgan Tumeo is also losing money.

“Just yesterday I lost about $500. Today with the reschedules I’m at $350.”

Tumeo also mentions the idea of a bomb threat scares her clients so much they are not returning.

“I had ten clients scheduled today now, I only have four clients scheduled,” Tumeo said. “They are scared. They don’t know if they can come in. People are fearing for their lives.”

Williams offers her solution to help businesses stop losing money.

“Why isn’t Planet Fitness closing is what I want to know,” Williams said. “Every business in this area is losing money. Planet Fitness members pay in advance.”

At least 17 Planet Fitness locations have reported hoax bomb threats in recent weeks. Augustine Road, Beach Boulevard, and Normandy Boulevard just to name a few.

This all comes after Planet Fitness revoked an Alaska woman’s membership for snapping photos of a transgender woman, who is biologically male, shaving in the women’s locker room.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said these threats are taken very seriously. JSO also mentions this will continue to be an active criminal investigation.

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