Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
July 6, 2024
Pennsylvania Capitol Police briefly evacuated the Capitol Complex and Judicial Center on Saturday, after all members of the state House and Senate received an emailed bomb threat.
As first reported by PennLive, lawmakers received an email shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday from someone claiming to have hidden explosives in and around the buildings, “in the name of Palestine.” The message threatened to trigger one device every few hours until President Joe Biden “goes on national television and publicly denounces the illegitimate state of Israel.” The sender of the email claimed to be inside one of the buildings armed with a knife.
Eric Veronikis, communications director with the Pennsylvania Department of General Services said in a statement Saturday night that Capitol Police did not find any explosives during a search of the building with K9 units. “Capitol Police and the FBI are still actively conducting a comprehensive search and investigation in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police, House and Senate security, and the Dauphin County Sheriff’s office to ensure the safety of the area,” according to the statement.
Earlier in the day, both the House and Senate had canceled their planned Sunday sessions; neither was in session on Saturday, although some legislative staff were in the Capitol building. Lawmakers are still negotiating a state budget, which is a week past the June 30 deadline.
On Sunday, Veronikis sent a follow-up statement: “Following a comprehensive search, Capitol Police, federal, state, and local authorities determined there was no credible threat and the buildings were cleared to reopen.”
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