Hoax bomb threats made against government buildings across US for second straight day, authorities say

Sara Smart, Amy Simonson and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN
·2 min read
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Hoax bomb threats were made against government buildings in several states on Thursday, authorities said, a day after similar threats led to the temporary evacuations of several states’ capitol buildings.

Thursday’s threats – this time made against a wider range of government buildings, including courthouses – led to evacuations of facilities 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 there at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Portland police said. Police checked the building with dogs, and it was reopened at 11:30 a.m. after nothing was found, police said.

The FBI is aware “of the numerous hoax bomb threats sent to various government buildings and other facilities,” the bureau said Thursday.

“The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention,” the bureau said. “We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.”

Thursday’s threats came a day after similar threats affected capitol proceedings in Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Connecticut, Michigan and Minnesota. No states reported finding any threatening items in those buildings Wednesday.

Here are some of the details of Thursday’s other hoaxes:

• Superior, Montana: Authorities searched the Mineral County Courthouse on Thursday morning because of an emailed bomb threat, and they determined the threat wasn’t viable or credible, the county sheriff’s office said.

• Mississippi: Bomb threats were received across the state, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said Thursday, without elaborating about the threats. The Hinds County Circuit Court building was evacuated because of a bomb threat, the county sheriff’s office said Thursday morning, adding later that the building was clear and open for normal business.

• Pulaski County, Arkansas: The county courthouse, the county juvenile court and the county district court were evacuated because of a bomb threat Thursday morning, the county said. The courts were later cleared to reopen.

• Daytona Beach, Florida: The Fifth District Court of Appeal was evacuated Thursday morning because of an emailed bomb threat, but people were allowed to go back inside after police found nothing of concern, according to CNN Affiliate Spectrum 13 News.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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