At least four state capitol complexes across the U.S. were forced to evacuate Wednesday morning due to a series of bomb threats, officials said.
In Georgia, Gabriel Sterling, an elections official with the Office of the Secretary of State, wrote on X around 8:30 a.m. ET that there had been a bomb threat at the Georgie state Capitol, causing a delayed opening. About 20 minutes later, he tweeted that the complex had reopened after law enforcement officials investigated. An official with the Georgia State Patrol didn’t immediately respond to questions from NBC News.
In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear wrote on X around 10:30 a.m. ET that the state police had evacuated the state Capitol and was investigating a “threat received by the Secretary of State’s Office.”
Officials with the Kentucky State Police didn’t immediately respond to questions from NBC News.
A spokesperson for the Michigan State Police also confirmed that there had been a bomb threat to the state Capitol on Wednesday morning.
“In response to a threat made involving the Michigan State Capitol Building in Lansing, we can confirm a threat was emailed to a general account for the Michigan State Capitol Commission around 7:45 a.m. today, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024,” Michigan State Police spokesperson Lori Dougovito said.
“We are aware of similar threats sent to government agencies across the country,” Dougovito said, adding that the Capitol was evacuated and that the building was searched.
The situation remains under investigation and the building “will remain closed for the rest of the day,” she added.
In Mississippi, an official with the Department of Public Safety said the state Capitol had “successfully been cleared” after a bomb threat was made.
“The building was thoroughly searched, and no explosives or suspicious equipment were found,” the spokesperson, Bailey Martin, said in a statement. “There is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings,” Martin added.
The threats appeared to be part of a broader pattern unfolding across the U.S. this week, with reports of similar threats being made to state Capitols in Connecticut, Montana and Minnesota. Law enforcement officials in those three states didn’t immediately respond to questions from NBC News.
Federal officials have warned that public servants at all levels of government are facing a huge surge in threats made against them in recent years.
In September, Attorney General Merrick Garland testified that government workers had seen an “astounding“ number of such threats.
This is a developing story.
