Pennsylvania capitol evacuated after bomb threat
The Pennsylvania State Capitol building was evacuated Saturday after state lawmakers received an email from an individual claiming they had placed explosives in the complex and were armed with a knife.
A House Democratic Caucus spokesperson confirmed to ABC27 News that everyone inside the building was told to evacuate immediately.
Capitol Police began searching the Pennsylvania complex with K9 units, but no explosives were found during the search, the outlet reported.
The email was titled “My manifesto” and sent to state lawmakers around 5:45 p.m. Saturday evening. The individual claimed to have put “highly lethal lead azide devices” around the building “in the name of Palestine.”
State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D) posted on the social media platform X, thanking law enforcement for their “courage and professionalism.”
In another post, Bizzarro said he said he is “tired of the foolery and unhinged behavior” and said he hopes they “find this menace.”
According to his post, the email to lawmakers said the individual plans to trigger a new explosive “every few hours until Joe Biden goes on national television and publicly denounces the illegitimate state of Israel.”
In a statement to ABC27 News, Capitol Police said it is working with the FBI to conduct a comprehensive search and investigation.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are expected to depart Washington Sunday morning and head to Pennsylvania for campaign events.
ABC27 News is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.