The threat came one day after violent mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, where they broke windows and barricades, clashed with police, and occupied congressional offices.
Lawmakers in Michigan were sent an alert at the Capitol in Lansing this morning telling them to stay away from the building after a threat was called in around 6:45 a.m. Michigan State Police then swept the area with investigators and bomb-sniffing dogs, ABC News 13 reported.
Shortly after 9 a.m., the Capitol building was deemed safe by police and able to reopen to employees and legislators, according to the Associated Press.
Michigan lawmakers aren’t back in session until next week, but Senator Curtis Hertel tweeted Thursday morning: “All clear given to the Michigan Capitol.”
Nonetheless, the threat put Michigan police and lawmakers on high alert following the destructive scene in Washington, D.C., yesterday.
At least four people have been confirmed dead from the chaos that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol, and many others are reportedly injured. Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department said that over 52 arrests have been made in connection to the violence.
The rioters, emboldened by false claims that the election was stolen from Trump, stormed the Capitol and forced lawmakers to delay a joint session to certify the election results for Joe Biden.
But Congress pushed through the night, ultimately certifying that Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on January 20.
“The United States and United States Congress has faced down much greater threats than the unhinged crowd we saw today,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said when senators returned to the floor after the attack on the Capitol. “We’ve never been deterred before, and we will not be deterred.”
Following the certification, Trump issued a statement saying that he “totally disagrees,” with the election outcome, but promised an orderly transition of power.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement Wednesday saying that “violence, vandalism, and insurrection have no place in this great country of ours. We are a nation of laws, not mobs.”
“Now is the time to put this election behind us once and for all. We must unify as one nation to defeat our real enemy, which is the pandemic that has taken far too many of our friends, neighbors and loved ones,” she added.
A press release from Michigan State Police on Thursday said the bomb threat incident remains under investigation and “every effort will be made to identify the person who made this threat and prosecute them to the fullest extent the law will allow,” the Detroit Free Press reported.
Newsweek reached out to the Michigan State Police for additional comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
