STERLING HEIGHTS — A customer’s “threat” referencing ISIS that caused a Meijer store to evacuate customers on Monday was a misunderstanding, police said. 

The Meijer on 16 Mile and Van Dyke closed for about three hours for safety reasons. 

Local and national media reported on Monday evening that a customer left a backpack at the customer service counter after a dispute over a return. “Have you heard of ISIS,” the man supposedly said.

However, on Tuesday morning Fox 2 reported that no such statements were made.

A man bought a new backpack and left his old one in a cart in the parking lot, after asking an employee to throw it out.

The backpack was mistakenly brought back inside the store. A conversation about current events, during which the customer mentioned ISIS, was recalled.

Police and federal law enforcement officers were called; the store was evacuated.