Alaska State Capitol among US statehouses targeted by ‘hoax’ bomb threats

JUNEAU — The Alaska State Capitol received a bomb threat Wednesday that authorities believe was connected to a spate of “hoax” warnings received by statehouses across the country.

The Washington Post reported that more than a half-dozen state capitols received threats Wednesday morning, which forced evacuations and interrupted court proceedings in some places. The FBI said it was aware of “hoax” bomb warnings across the country, but that no specific or credible threat was discovered.

Jessica Geary, executive director of the Legislative Affairs Agency, said generic email accounts for legislative information offices in Anchorage, Bethel and Cordova received a warning at 3:38 a.m. that said explosives were placed inside the state Capitol in Juneau.

When the emails were discovered in the morning, Geary said national news outlets had already reported that the bomb threats were not credible. The Alaska State Capitol was quickly searched by security guards, but no “active threat” was discovered, she said.

The Capitol is currently quiet with few legislators and staff in the building. Legislative information offices are also closed across Alaska until the 2024 legislative session starts Jan. 16.

The Capitol was not evacuated when the emails were discovered, and staff were not notified until the search was finished, Geary said. Had the bomb threat been made during the workday, she said that it would likely be “pretty scary” because it would not be immediately clear if it was credible or not.

The Juneau Police Department reported a downtown church received a similar bomb threat Wednesday. A statement from the police department said it is coordinating with the FBI “regarding these threats.”