Georgia State Capitol reopens after email threat hoax. What we know

The Georgia State Capitol has reopened in Atlanta following an unsubstantiated email threat on Thursday.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the Capitol was evacuated due to the threat about 2 p.m. Officers cleared the building and said there was no threat, according to the outlet.

Text messages from Capitol police said, “All persons inside should evacuate in an orderly fashion,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Later, texts said: “ALL CLEAR! No threat was located. Email believed to be part of a hoax sent to multiple states. The Capitol is resuming normal operations.”

WSBTV in Atlanta, citing a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp’s Office, reported the governor was not in danger at the time of the evacuation.

In January, several news outlets reported evacuations at state capitals due to an email threat.

The Lexington Herald-Ledger reported that threats were sent out to multiple secretaries of state across the country as a “mass email,” according to Michon Lindstrom, a spokesperson for Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.

CNN reported that Capitol buildings in multiple states had been temporarily shut down and evacuated because of threats.

This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 5:24 PM.