![Carson City Weather Carson City Weather](https://carsonnow.org/sites/www.carsonnow.org/files/weather.jpg)
Tighter security measures at Carson City capitol building after threats
A letter by an extremist group that told Gov. Gibbons and other governors to resign forced the partial closure of the capitol building in Carson City this morning, multiple news agencies are reporting.
According to the Nevada Appeal www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20100331/NEWS/100339911/1070&ParentProfile=1058 and the Las Vegas Sun, http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/31/state-capitol-security-tightened-after-police-rece/ Nevada Capitol police implemented security measures this morning after law enforcement officials received letters.
The Nevada Appeal reports that the Capitol was locked down late Tuesday when the FBI advised the governors of all 50 states they would be receiving letters from an extremist group that would demand they resign.
According to the Appeal, the letters advise those governors that, if they don't resign, members of the group will come and “commandeer” their offices. It was received by the Capitol Police at noon Monday and immediately turned over to FBI investigators, according to the Nevada Appeal.
All entrances to the building have been closed except the main entry, and a metal detector and X-ray machine have been set up at that entrance to screen visitors and packages, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
"We're using every precaution," said Lynn Hettrick, deputy chief of staff to Gibbons, as quoted in the Las Vegas Sun.
Capitol police received a threatening letter Monday from a group that Hettrick said he could not identify, as reported in the Las Vegas Sun.
Hettrick told the Las Vegas Sun the FBI issued a warning that letters would be sent to governor's in all 50 states, telling them to resign their posts and swear a new oath of office.
Hettrick told the Sun that the group threatened to "commandeer" state offices, though it also said it was a non-violent movement.
Hettrick told the Las Vegas Sun the group was affiliated with the "sovereign citizens" movement, which the Anti-Defamation League describes as a "loosely organized collection of groups and individuals who have adopted a right-wing anarchist ideology."
The Anti-Defamation League says Terry Nichols, accomplice to Oklahoma City Federal Building bomber Timothy McVeigh, was part of this group.
*****
Photo credit: Kirk Caraway
Chris Klein of the Nevada Capitol Police checks in a visitor at the old capitol building in Carson City on Wednesday.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
capital.jpg | 38.86 KB |