Several state capitol buildings across the United States on Jan. 3 received bomb threats, prompting evacuations and lockdowns.
At least five state capitol buildings were targeted in the wave of bomb scares on Wednesday: Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, Montana, Connecticut, Michigan, and Maine.
Kentucky State Police asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and said they were investigating a threat received by the Secretary of State’s office, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country.”
A spokesperson for the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office, Michon Lindstrom, told The Lexington Herald Leader that there had been a “mass email” sent to secretaries of state across the country.
Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, confirmed the threat targeting his state’s capitol in Atlanta, and he indicated that the Georgia Secretary of State’s office was aware of other threats.
“There have been multiple bomb threats to state capitols around the nation. So far Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan & Montana,” Mr. Sterling said in an X post. “Do not jump to conclusions as to who is responsible. There will be chaos agents sowing discord for 2024. They want to increase tensions. Don’t let them.”
In an emailed statement to NTD, Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokeswoman Bailey Martin confirmed the department had received notification of “suspicious activity” in and around the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson on Jan. 3. She said Mississippi DPS personnel subsequently conducted a thorough search of the building but found no explosives or suspicious equipment.
“This is an ongoing investigation, and there is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings,” Ms. Martin said. “Due to this being an ongoing investigation, we cannot make any further comment regarding the threat received this morning.”
In another emailed statement, Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson confirmed that the law enforcement agency received a bomb threat at about 8:30 a.m. local time targeting the state Capitol in Helena.
“Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) Troopers assigned to the Capitol evacuated the building. MHP explosive detection K9 team then swept the building,” Sgt. Nelson said.
Sgt. Nelson confirmed that MHP troopers didn’t find any explosive devices or other threatening materials during their search of the Montana state capitol building.
Connecticut State Capitol Police Department Lt. Gregory Wimble confirmed to NTD, a sister media outlet of The Epoch Times, that the law enforcement agency was alerted to an emailed threat against the state capitol building in Hartford at about 8 a.m. local time on Jan. 3.
Lt. Wimble said the Capitol Police Department reviewed security footage and sent officers and an explosive detection K9 to conduct an exhaustive search of the building, but they were not able to find any suspicious items inside the building.
Lt. Wimble said the Capitol Police Department reopened the building at around 9:50 a.m., allowing staff and visitors to return. He said law enforcement officials in Connecticut are working with the FBI to investigate the incident.
“The FBI is aware of the numerous hoax incidents wherein a bomb threat at a state Capitol building is made,” the federal agency said in an emailed press statement on Wednesday. “The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts 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. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.”
The FBI did not respond to specific questions from NTD News about how many state capitol buildings may have been targeted with bomb threats on Wednesday.
The Michigan State Police also confirmed a bomb threat at the state capitol building in Lansing on Wednesday.
MSP said police K9 teams swept the building and determined there was no threat, but said the capitol building would remain closed for the day.
“All floors and rooms of the capitol had been cleared by noon. The FBI will be taking over the investigation as multiple government agencies received the same threat,” the MSP statement continued.
