ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The all clear has been given at the Maryland State House after a security threat triggered a lockdown late Thursday afternoon.
The lockdown and shelter-in-place was lifted as of 6:52 p.m., and all remaining occupants including the governor, lieutenant governor, and senate president, were escorted from the building, per situational protocol.
State House grounds have resumed standard security procedures and protocol.
The incident first began after 5 p.m. when reporters with officers on the ground floor of the building were told to lock their doors by an aide to Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones. About 30 minutes later, police escorted reporters out of the building.
An Associated Press reporter saw an officer hurrying up a staircase with his gun drawn. State employees were also evacuating the building.
Annapolis Police Department spokesperson Bernie Bennett said someone made an anonymous threat to the State House via phone sometime Thursday. He said the agency was called to assist the Maryland Capitol Police in responding to the potential threat.
As of around 6 p.m. Thursday, authorities hadn’t found any signs of suspicious activity.
"The top floor of the building is cleared and once the bottom floor and the grounds have been cleared, an all clear will be given and people can move about as they please," the Annapolis Police spokesperson said.
Bennett said they also hadn’t received any reports of violence at the State House and that no one has taken credit for the threat.
“You have to react to every threat as though it’s credible and serious,” he said.
People inside the building were asked to shelter in place while law enforcement agents searched the building and grounds, including with police dogs.
After finding nothing, the all clear was given.
The Maryland Department of General Services issued the following statement in response to the threat:
"This afternoon, the Annapolis City Police Department received a call from an individual threatening to target the Maryland State House.
The Annapolis City Police immediately notified the Maryland Capitol Police, Maryland State Police, Anne Arundel County Police, and security personnel in the House and Senate buildings about the potential threat. Within minutes of receiving the information, Maryland Capitol Police placed the Maryland State House, Government House, and House and Senate Office Buildings on lockdown, directing occupants to follow instructions from law enforcement - including to shelter in place.
The Maryland Capitol Police coordinated sweeps of the State House, Senate and House buildings and surrounding grounds, according to protocol, and determined that the areas are secure and clear of any potential threat. The lockdown and shelter in place was lifted at 6:52 p.m. and all remaining occupants, including the governor, lieutenant governor, and senate president, were escorted from the building, per situational protocol. State House grounds have resumed standard security procedures and protocol."
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also released a statement to thank police for their work on Thursday.
"Our family is grateful for the members of the Maryland Capitol Police, Maryland State Police, Annapolis Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department who secured the State House Grounds and kept us safe today," said Moore. Adding, "These brave men and women aren’t just Maryland’s finest – they’re Maryland’s promise. They define what it means to be a Marylander."
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