The Wyoming Capitol, including the governor’s office, was evacuated Tuesday after someone found a suspected explosive device in front of the building and brought it inside.
The grounds were searched with drones and police dogs after the explosive device was discovered on the state seal between the building’s front steps and the street, according to a statement from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, which provides security for the Capitol.
The evacuation began around 9:45 a.m. after the finder, whose identity has not been revealed, brought the body inside. Authorities announced late in the afternoon that the building would not reopen on Tuesday.
Gov. Mark Gordon was among those evacuated, as well as other members of the Wyoming Code Stable Commission who were meeting in a basement room near the state capitol, located in Cheyenne.
Authorities would not elaborate on what was found except that it appeared homemade and not something factory-produced like a military round, said Aaron Brown, a spokesman for the Wyoming Highway Patrol. It was not immediately revealed whether the body was made safe in any way, but patrol officials said anyone with information should contact the state Division of Criminal Investigation.
“Whether it’s real or not, our biggest concern is the safety of the public,” Brown said.
Police closed nearby streets to traffic but reopened them by evening. Workers sheltering in two government buildings connected to the Capitol via an underground corridor were allowed to leave via designated exits in the afternoon.
The governor, the state auditor and state treasurer were among the committee members who halted their meeting in the room off the corridor and were evacuated from the area, said Amy Edmonds, the governor’s spokeswoman.
A Video recording Television footage showed that the meeting, which was attended by a small number of people, was postponed for evacuation about an hour after it began.
Edmonds said Gordon was working with law enforcement and monitoring the situation.
The Wyoming Capitol is home to the main offices of the governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state superintendent of public instruction, and attorney general, as well as the state House of Representatives and Senate.
Dating back to 1890, the year Wyoming became a state, the building reopened in 2019 after a three-year renovation.