'It was crazy'; Bomb scare near Pope’s brother's home sparks evacuations

A bomb threat prompted the evacuation of several homes near the suburban Chicago residence of John Prevost, the younger brother of Pope Leo XIV, on Wednesday evening. Authorities later searched the area and confirmed no hazardous materials were found.

Eric Cox/Reuters

17 April 2026 at 03:09:41

A screengrab photo in video showing New Lenox police car near where Pope Leo's brother lives.

Reuters

Police say a bomb threat prompted officers to evacuate several homes near the suburban Chicago residence of John Prevost, Pope Leo XIV's younger brother, Wednesday evening (April 15).

“My mom came in petrified like, ‘We’ve gotta go! We’ve gotta go,' said neighbor Patrick Mayhugh when describing the sudden evacuation. "I had no idea what was going on, it was crazy.”

Authorities searched the area and confirmed no hazardous materials were found.

-Eric Cox/Reuters

Police evacuated several homes near the suburban Chicago residence of John Prevost, the younger brother of Pope Leo XIV, on Wednesday evening after a bomb threat was reported, authorities said. Residents were quickly moved out as officers conducted a precautionary search of the area. No hazardous materials were found, and officials later confirmed the area was safe.