State Capitol Reopened After a Small Evacuation

AUSTIN (AP/STAFF) – Part of the Texas state Capitol has been briefly evacuated as police officers and a bomb squad checked a suspicious package and letter delivered to a lawmaker’s office. The Department of Public Safety said in a statement Tuesday that a “limited area” of underground offices “was evacuated as a precautionary measure,” but later reopened when the scene “was cleared and no viable threat was discovered.” First word came from a Facebook posting by Tyler State Representative Matt Schaefer. It said, “DPS has evacuated my staff in our Capitol office along with other offices in the vicinity due to a suspicious package. If phones are not answered, leave a message.” The incident affected a small enough part of the building that the Capitol remained open, with tourists and others mostly coming and going as normal.