The Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg was evacuated on Saturday after state lawmakers received an email from an individual claiming to have placed explosives around the building “in the name of Palestine,” according to several media reports.
The sender also claimed to be armed with a knife.
In an email sent to more than 250 House and Senate members around 5:45 p.m., with the subject line “My Manifesto,” the individual claimed to have hidden “highly lethal lead azide devices” in and around the Pennsylvania State Capitol complex and the Pennsylvania Judicial Center.
Pressure on Joe Biden
The email threatened that the devices would be triggered “every few hours” until US President Joe Biden appeared on television to denounce the “illegitimate” State of Israel.
The email also stated, “Keep in mind I am inside one of two buildings armed with a knife, and plan on remaining here to my dying breath.”
This threat came just 24 hours before Biden was expected to visit Harrisburg for a campaign event, according to an official announcement from his campaign on Friday evening.
It is unknown if the threat and the president’s visit to Harrisburg are related.
Following a thorough K9 search of the premises, Capitol Police declared that no explosives were found.
However, "Capitol Police and the FBI are still actively conducting a comprehensive search and investigation in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police, House and Senate security, and the Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office, to ensure the safety of the area,” the department said in a statement Saturday night.