Idaho Capitol briefly evacuated after bomb threat about presidential election

A threatening email about the presidential election sparked an alarming message sent by an Idaho Capitol building alert system that told Capitol employees to evacuate immediately.

Some Capitol workers received an alert that instructed them to leave the Boise building at 9:05 a.m. Monday, according to state police.

“Capitol Security: EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A TEST,” said the alert, which was shared with the Idaho Statesman. “THIS IS NOT A TEST. An emergency has occurred in the Capitol. DO NOT RETURN until you have received the All Clear Alert.”

State police spokesperson Aaron Snell said the Capitol received an email Monday that said a group would place a bomb at the Capitol building if Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t win the November presidential election. Snell said the threat wasn’t immediate. Idaho State Police cleared the building within the hour.

“Unfortunately, it was taken as a direct, immediate threat,” Snell told the Statesman by phone.

Idaho State Police did not send the alert and troopers were working with Capitol administration to get more information on who sent the alert and why it was issued, Snell said.

The Statehouse’s administration office did not provide the Statesman with additional information.

Snell said the email seemed “generic” and similar to a previous bomb threat received by the Capitol earlier this month. That threat turned out to have been sent to addresses in multiple states on Aug. 15. Idaho State Police deemed the place safe after no devices were found.

“While these types of calls aren’t specifically tracked, they have increased,” Snell wrote in an email to the Statesman following the first threat. “Typically, ISP responds to three to four incidents a year. While every incident is treated as a real threat, to date, nothing suspicious has been located.”