At least nine state capitols were have been shut down after a hoax bomb threat was mass emailed to dozens around the country.
Hawaii, Minnesota, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Maine, and Montana state houses were closed while police searched for bombs.
Shutdowns lasted for as long as hours after the email sent to numerous capitol staff claimed multiple explosives ‘will go off in a few hours’.
‘I will make sure you all end up dead,’ the email warned.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said state police asked everyone to evacuate the capitol while it investigated a threat received by the Secretary of State’s office.
‘We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country,’ he said at 10.26am on Wednesday.
Law enforcement vehicles are deployed at the Mississippi State Capitol after a bomb threat was received in Jackson
Shutdowns lasted for as long as hours after the email (screenshot pictured) sent to numerous capitol staff claimed multiple explosives ‘will go off in a few hours’
Kentucky lawmakers were meeting in the capitol annex for ethics training when the alarm was raised. The state house in Frankfort was reopened about 12pm.
Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, said his state house was also closed.
‘Starting 2024 with a bomb threat at the Georgia State Capitol. Delayed opening until the all clear is given. Avoid the area for now,’ he said.
The Georgia State Patrol said the closure only lasted less than an hour.
‘A hoax email was sent to an employee this morning about a bomb threat at the Capitol. A search was conducted, and an all-clear was given. The Capitol has been reopened,’ it said.
The Mississippi Capitol in Jackson was also briefly closed after a warning of ‘suspicious activity’ that was soon clarified to be a bomb threat.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said the building was thoroughly searched and ‘no explosives or suspicious equipment were found’.
Police blocked off several streets around the building and bomb sniffing dogs nosed around until it was reopened about 11am.
Police blocked off several streets around the Mississippi Capitol and bomb sniffing dogs nosed around until it was reopened about 11am
The Montana Capitol was closed after the hoax email was received about 8.30am local time, and reopened at 9.57am.
‘A sweep has been completed, and the threat was found to not be credible. The building has been reopened to the public,’ Megan Grotzke at the Montana Department of Administration said.
With snow on the ground during a cold winter’s day, lawmakers and staff evacuated from the capitol get warm in nearby buildings.
Connecticut’s state house was shut early in the morning after several staffers raised the alarm when they opened the threatening email.
‘The email, which apparently was sent to numerous states, claimed to have placed multiple explosives in the capitol building,’ police said.
State Capitol Police officers with bomb detection dogs swept the building and reopened it after finding no explosives.
The Montana Capitol was closed after the hoax email was received about 8.30am local time, and reopened at 9.57am
Michigan was another state targeted and its capitol in Lansing was closed, and unlike others it will be shut down for the entire day.
‘The Capitol was evacuated, the building searched, and the Michigan State Police currently has MSP Canine teams still sweeping the building,’ police said.
‘Out of an abundance of caution, the Capitol will remain closed for the rest of the day.’
Minnesota State Patrol Capitol Security was notified of the email about 9am and soon locked the building down while it was searched from 9.30am to 10.15am.
Police said ‘no suspicious or threatening items were found’ but more officers would stay close by for the rest of the day.
Hawaii was the eighth state to close its capitol after the email was seen about 6.20am.
The building is still blocked off as police with bomb detection dogs search it and investigate the threat.
Maine was the last of the nine to be evacuated as it did not decide to shut the building down until Wednesday afternoon.
Police are still searching the building.
Montana High Patrol Trooper Brandon Uhl walks the perimeter of the State Capitol on Wednesday morning after a bomb threat
Many other states, at least 23 in total, received the hoax email but decided to ignore it.
Wyoming Highway Patrol said the email was determined not to be a security threat and no action taken. Nebraska did the same.
Maryland increase police presence around its capitol but none of its operations were affected.
The FBI said it was ‘aware of the numerous hoax incidents’ and took them very seriously because they put innocent people at risk.
‘While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention,’ it said.
‘We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.’
Hawaii was the eighth state to close its capitol after the email was seen about 6.20am
The nationwide bomb threat followed fake shooting reports to the homes of several politicians in recent days.
Swatting is a prank call made to emergency services intended to bring a police response.
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was targeted by a fake emergency call on Christmas morning.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was hit by a ‘swatting’ attempt a day after she removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause, a decision Trump is appealing.
Other public officials targeted in recent days include Republican Congressman Brandon Williams of New York, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Hundreds of swatting cases occur annually.