(NewsNation) — Multiple state Capitols received threats Wednesday morning, although authorities say they have not immediately found evidence of dangerous items at these locations.
A mass email was sent out to multiple state Capitols, titled, “Explosives inside of your state Capitol.” The email added the hidden explosives would “go off in a couple of hours.”
Among the state Capitols that had to evacuate their buildings were Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi and Montana, according to the Associated Press.
“It’s typically revenge or anger or them wanting to make some sort of political statement to get somebody else. In other words, it’s really a harassing type of situation, and they realize how dangerous it is,” former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said.
Closures were brief for most states, but the FBI continues to investigate this incident.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on X that “everyone is safe” in the Capitol after being asked to evacuate while police investigated a threat received by the secretary of state’s office.
“We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country,” Beshear wrote. “We thank our first responders for their quick response, and we will provide more updates.”
Michon Lindstrom, a spokesperson for Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, said in a statement that threats were sent to secretaries of state across the country as a “mass email,” according to NewsNation partner The Hill.
Meanwhile, in Mississippi, the Capitol building was locked down after a bomb threat on the second day of the legislative session. State senators delayed a morning meeting because the building had to be evacuated. The AP writes that bomb-sniffing dogs were circling the area.
Nothing was found, and there is no further threat to the Capitol as of Wednesday morning, Bailey Martin, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said.
Montana’s Capitol building was able to reopen within two hours after a building sweep was done and the threat was found to be not credible, Megan Grotzke, spokesperson for the Department of Administration, said.
This is just part of a recent string of “swatting calls“
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, New York Rep. Brandon Williams, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost were also targeted over the holidays.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
