Bomb threats targeting government buildings in multiple states lead to evacuations
Hoax bomb threats were made against government buildings in several states on Thursday, authorities said, just a day after similar threats led to the temporary evacuations of several states’ capitol buildings.
Thursday’s threats, which targeted a wider range of government buildings including courthouses, led to evacuations in Arkansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, and Florida. In Maine, for example, the Cumberland County courthouse in Portland was evacuated after a bomb threat was emailed at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday. The building was reopened at 11:30 a.m. after police found nothing.
The FBI said it is aware of the numerous hoax bomb threats and is urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or individuals to law enforcement immediately.
The threats on Thursday came a day after similar incidents affected capitol proceedings in Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Connecticut, Michigan, and Minnesota. No states reported finding any threatening items in those buildings on Wednesday.
Authorities searched and cleared multiple courthouse facilities in several states including Mississippi, Montana, Arkansas, and Florida following the threats. The Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach, Florida, was evacuated on Thursday morning but people were allowed to go back inside after police found nothing of concern.
The FBI emphasized that although there is no specific or credible threat, they take hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk.
This story has been updated with additional information.