Bomb threats prompt evacuations of government buildings in several states, but no explosives found

 JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Government buildings were evacuated in several states Thursday after bomb threats, causing brief disruptions in some places for the second consecutive day.

The Mississippi Capitol and courthouses in Arkansas, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, and New Hampshire were evacuated or searched, but no explosives were immediately found, and the buildings reopened to the public.

The latest round of evacuations comes after several state capitals were put on lockdown on Wednesday following an emailed threat to officials. The threats also follow false reports of shots fired at the homes of public officials in recent days.

In Jackson, Mississippi, officials said the state Supreme Court, which is across the street from the state Capitol building, received a bomb threat. Bomb sniffing dogs circled the building before officers evacuated the area.

The FBI said Thursday it was aware of "multiple fraudulent incidents."

"The FBI takes fraudulent threats very seriously because they put innocent people at risk," Marshe Lawson, spokeswoman for the FBI's Jackson Division, said in a statement. "While we do not have any information indicating a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners."

A spokesperson for the Hawaii State Judiciary said that both the Hawaii Courthouse and the federal courthouse in Honolulu received a mass email stating that explosives had been placed in court facilities. Spokesman Jan Kagehiro said in an emailed statement that the message appeared to be sent "by the same individual/entity" that sent similar threats to state capitol buildings in several states on Wednesday. He said sheriffs are cleaning the interiors of state court buildings to confirm there is no threat, but the facilities remain open.

The Pulaski County Courthouse in downtown Little Rock was evacuated Thursday morning after a bomb threat. The threat was announced shortly after the start of a hearing in a lawsuit between the State Board of Corrections and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. There is a growing dispute between the governor and the board over who runs the state prison system.

Police gave the all clear after searching the building and allowed people back inside around 11:15 a.m. Central time.

The Cascade County Courthouse in Great Falls, Montana was evacuated Thursday morning after a bomb threat was received. The courthouse was reopened after law enforcement officials determined that the threat was not credible.

In northwestern Montana, the Mineral County Justice Court was also evacuated after the county received a bomb threat sent via email, Sheriff Ryan Funke said in a statement. Law enforcement officers searched courtrooms in Superior, a town of fewer than 900 people near the Idaho border.

Authorities spoke with federal and state agencies and determined the incident was not a threat to the public or court staff, Funke said in a statement.

Bomb threats were also made to several courthouses in New Hampshire and Maine. Courthouses in Cumberland and Kennebec counties in Maine were temporarily closed, but reopened after the search, said Barbara Cardone, spokeswoman for the Maine court system. The York County Judicial Center in Maine was also closed for the day.