Suspected explosive device prompts Wyoming capitol evacuation

The Wyoming capitol building, including the governor’s office, was evacuated on Tuesday after a suspected explosive device was found. The grounds were being searched with drones and bomb-sniffing dogs.

The evacuation that began at 9.30am was still ongoing at mid-afternoon.

Governor Mark Gordon was among those evacuated, as well as other members of the Wyoming Stable Token Commission who were meeting at the time in a basement-level room near the capitol.

Authorities did not elaborate on what was found except that it appeared homemade and not a factory-produced object such as a military round, a Wyoming highway patrol spokesperson, Aaron Brown, said. It was not immediately disclosed exactly where on the grounds the device was found.

“Whether it’s real or not, our biggest concern is safety of the public,” Brown said.

Police closed nearby streets to traffic. Workers remained in two state office buildings connected to the capitol by an underground passageway but were told to shelter in place.

The governor, state auditor and state treasurer are among the committee members who halted their meeting in room off the corridor and evacuated from the area, said Amy Edmonds, the governor’s spokesperson.

By mid-afternoon, employees in the two office buildings were being allowed to leave through designated exits, Edmonds said.

Gordon was working with law enforcement and monitoring the situation, Edmonds said.

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 and senate chambers.

Dating to 1890, the year that Wyoming became a state, the building reopened in 2019 following a three-year renovation.