CCSO gives all-clear after Port Charlotte businesses evacuated due to suspicious substance

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said it found no threat of explosives after businesses near Gertrude Avenue at Harbor Boulevard were evacuated.

The item in question was identified as a rifle sight coated with cosmoline, a rust-prevention substance, according to the sheriff’s office.

Multiple businesses were evacuated briefly in Port Charlotte as authorities investigated.

The sheriff’s office said that a lieutenant was approached by a woman who reported that she had a potentially explosive substance in the trunk of her vehicle.

R & L Market, Sam’s Subs and Gulf Coast Orthopedic were among the businesses evacuated. The scene took place near Fawcett Memorial Hospital and Bayfront Health.