Police investigate suspicious luggage near Kardong Trail

An unattended suitcase near the Kardong Bridge caught the attention of passing pedestrians on Monday morning who reported the luggage to police as suspicious. An area near the Riverpoint campus and the Centennial Trail was taped off by Spokane Police while the explosives unit investigated the bag just after 10 a.m. Police didn’t believe there was any harm to the nearby Washington State University branch campus or Gonzaga University so the schools remained in session during the investigation. A transient man visiting the campus stepped forward to police to revealing himself as the owner of the luggage. 42-year-old Tony Dell said he left his suitcase tied up next to the bridge while he used the computers at WSU. Once the scene was clear and police brought him to his scattered belongings, Dell told police: “I understand this is the world we live in now.” His clothes were lying on the ground next to the pedestrian bridge. He spent about ten minutes re-folding them though he eventually gave up. His name was written on a backpack inside the luggage. Dell, originally from Vancouver, said he was staying at the Truth Ministries in east Spokane while going under some hard times. “I’m sorry they had to come out,” Dell said. “I’m not a terrorist. I don’t think like that.” Spokane Police’s Sgt. Jason Hartman said the response to this type of call is the necessary precautions they take for any call referring to a suspicious device.