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According to the Minnesota State Patrol, an emailed bomb threat was received at the Minnesota State Capitol on Wednesday morning, leading to the temporary closure of the building for security reasons.
Lt. Jill Frankfurth, a patrol spokeswoman, said in a written statement that the state is one of many capitols across the country that have received such threats.
Security guards learned of the threat around 9 a.m., locked the building, and officers and explosives detector Hungarian Vizsla Matka searched for about 45 minutes starting at 9:30 a.m., only to find suspicious or threatening objects. Nothing was found and the building was reopened.
Gov. Tim Walz was not at the Capitol at the time of the threat, a spokesperson said.
Some activities in the main building have been moved to other spaces in the Capitol.
Seven state Supreme Court justices were hearing oral arguments in a courtroom on the second floor of the main building in a case involving a man’s challenge to have his driver’s license revoked. When the judges were informed of the threat, they got off their benches and walked across the street to the courtroom at the Judicial Center to continue hearing the case.
Frankfurt’s prime minister said security would be increased at the Reichstag building on Wednesday as a precaution.
The State Criminal Enforcement Agency Fusion Center is monitoring the situation in cooperation with other fusion centers across the country, Frankfurt’s statement said.
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