South Dakota
No credible threat found at South Dakota Capitol after ‘bomb threat hoax’
No credible threats were found after the South Dakota Capitol received a bomb threat Wednesday morning, with South Dakota Department of Public Safety officials noting a “nation-wide state capitol bomb threat hoax” had been ongoing.
A news release late Wednesday afternoon stated Capitol Protective Services received a call at 10:01 a.m. from the Legislative Research Council Office, stating their office had received an email “explaining there were well-hidden explosives inside the Capitol which would go off in a few hours.”
SDDPS stated in the release that despite the knowledge of the hoax, a search inside and outside the Capitol was preformed “out of an abundance of caution,” and nothing suspicious was found.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that buildings and statehouse offices in Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Montana were also evacuated, and the FBI said it had “no information to indicate a specific and credible threat.”
The news release stated the South Dakota Highway Patrol and CPS continue to investigate the threat, and that Capitol offices have been asked to report any suspicious activity.
The Argus Leader inquired about the hoax early Wednesday, but it’s unclear why it took department officials hours to inform the public about the situation.