Maryland State House subject to bogus bomb threat

State and Maryland Capitol Police responded Wednesday morning to a bomb threat made against the historic State House in Annapolis.

The threat comes on the same day that multiple other states received a threatening email claiming explosives were placed at state capitol buildings.

A spokesperson for Gov. Wes Moore (D) confirmed the receipt of a bomb threat Wednesday.

“DGS Police and Maryland State Police followed standard protocols to ensure the State House and surrounding facilities were checked and cleared prior to staff arriving,” the spokesperson said.

The contents of the message were not released.

Heightened police activity around the State House, which is undergoing extensive renovations, was visible around State Circle just before the start of the work day. Several marked cars were parked on and around the building with emergency lights on. A uniformed officer paced back and forth along the sidewalk between Lawyers’ Mall and the State House.

A spokesperson for the Department of General Services was not immediately available for comment.

But the threat did not appear to have any effect on operations.

A Board of Public Works meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. was held as scheduled. None of the three-member panel led by Moore mentioned the threat.

It is not immediately clear if the threat sent to Maryland officials is related to a series of threatening emails sent to officials in other states. The emailed threats come three days before the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

While everyone is safe, KSP has asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and is investigating a threat received by the Secretary of State’s Office. We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country. 1/2

— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) January 3, 2024

CNN reported Wednesday that multiple state capitols were affected by emailed bogus bomb threats. The message mentioned “explosives in your state capitol,” according to the network, siting a copy of an email allegedly sent to 23 states.

So far, no explosives have been located.

In each case, the network said the threats were sent to the secretary of state.

Efforts to obtain comment from Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee’s office were not immediately successful.

Maryland’s State House is the oldest in continuous operation in the nation. The building was once home to the Continental Congress. General George Washington resigned his commission in the Continental Army on the floor of the Maryland Senate. The resignation is seen as an example of the peaceful transition of power in the newly independent nation. The original handwritten copy of Washington’s resignation address is displayed in the rotunda outside the historic Senate chamber.

This story may be updated.

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