Michigan Capitol bomb threat not credible; building remains closed Wednesday

The Michigan Capitol was evacuated Wednesday morning after a reported bomb threat
Similar threats prompted closure of at least five other state Capitol buildings nationwide
Sweep of the building revealed no danger, Capitol will remain closed for the rest of the day

LANSING — The Michigan Capitol will remain closed Wednesday after it was evacuated due to a bomb threat that was later deemed not credible.

The threat, which came the same day as similar warnings in at least five other states, was emailed to “a general account” for the Michigan State Capitol Commission, which manages state Capitol grounds, at around 7:45 a.m., according to Lt. Rene Gonzalez.

By 1:30 p.m., the Michigan State Police announced that “sweeps of the Lansing Capitol have been completed and it has been determined there is no threat.”

The Capitol will remain closed for the day “out of an abundance of caution,” Gonzalez said.

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Michigan is one of a handful of states that closed government buildings Wednesday morning in response to reported bomb threats, including Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Montana and Mississippi, according to local media reports.

In Michigan, members and staff in the Capitol were instructed to leave the building and head to nearby House and Senate offices, legislative employees said.

The Legislature is not in session until Jan. 10, so the building was not as busy as it typically would be on a weekday.

“This was a frightening situation for everyone,” Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks wrote on social media.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the men and women of the Michigan State Police, Senate Police, and House Police who sprung into action to protect all who work in and visit the Capitol building.

It’s the first known bomb scare involving the Michigan Capitol since 2018, when police partially evacuated the building to investigate a “suspicious package” found outside near a mailbox.