An Atomic Bomb in Courthouse? Multiple Threats in Tennessee Follow Incidents in Other States
Government workers at 24 courthouses in Tennessee were ordered out of their buildings on Tuesday as a result of bomb threats received by 31 government buildings in the state. No bombs were found.
Employees at the Knox County Courthouse kept on working after receiving three bomb threats in a 10-minute period, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The first warned of an atomic bomb, and the second warned of multiple bombs, according to Knox County Clerk Foster Arnett, who was unsure about the content of the third call. A bomb-sniffing dog searched the premises.
The federal courthouse in Memphis, which also includes other government offices, was among those evacuated for a bomb check.
The incident follows bomb threats in Oregon, Washington and Nebraska, the News Sentinel says, citing information from the Associated Press. Marshall Stone, supervisory special agent with the FBI’s Knoxville division, told the Sentinel that authorities have not yet determined whether the incidents are related, but “logic suggests there would be a connection.”
