Springfield bomb threat evacuation ends, lawmakers given ‘all-clear’

SPRINGFIELD — State legislators and staff members were ordered to evacuate two floors of the State Capitol on Wednesday, but the “all clear” signal was soon given after bomb-sniffing dogs apparently found no threat.

House and Senate members were called back to the floor at about 3 p.m.

The whole episode lasted little more than an hour.

A bomb threat was called in to the Illinois secretary of state’s tourism desk about 1:25 p.m., spokesman Dave Druker said. The desk is located on the first-floor of the Capitol, with a volunteer who helps to arrange tours of the statehouse.

“The caller said there was a bomb near one of the higher floors,” Druker said.

The dogs were brought in, along with a bomb squad. The third and fourth floors were cleared.

An all-clear was given about 2:30 p.m.

Druker said he didn’t immediately know why there wasn’t a full evacuation of the building. Reporters remained in the press room or on the first floor of the Capitol, and many staffers and visitors stood in the first floor rotunda awaiting direction as the bomb squad searched for anything suspicious.