A suspicious package containing explosive materials triggered the evacuation of Arizona’s Supreme Court and several other government buildings in Phoenix on Monday morning, sparking a major law enforcement response in the state capital.
The package was discovered around 8 a.m. in the mail room of the Arizona Supreme Court building, prompting immediate action from authorities.
Within hours, multiple state facilities were cleared as a precautionary measure while bomb technicians worked to assess and remove the threat.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed that the suspicious package contained multiple vials.
Two of these vials tested positive for what officials described as an “unspecified homemade explosive substance,” reported the New York Post.
Law enforcement did not take any chances with the discovery.
In addition to the Supreme Court, evacuations were ordered for the Arizona State Courts building, the Department of Education, the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Administration.
The buildings remained closed throughout the morning hours and into the early afternoon as authorities worked to safely remove the dangerous materials from the premises.
State employees were kept at a distance while specialized units handled the situation.
Witnesses observed a bomb technician dressed in full protective gear carefully carrying the package out of the Arizona Supreme Court Building.
AZ Family reported that the technician then placed the suspicious package inside a Mobile Explosive Containment Vessel, a specialized piece of equipment designed to contain potential explosions.
The containment vessel was subsequently escorted away from the scene by a police motorcade.
Authorities transported it to a secure location where the explosive materials could be safely detonated without risk to the public.
Throughout the incident, no injuries were reported among state employees, law enforcement personnel or members of the public.
The swift response by authorities prevented any harm from coming to those who work in or visit these government facilities.
The all-clear was finally given at approximately 3:30 p.m., allowing employees to return to the buildings.
The evacuation lasted more than seven hours from the initial discovery of the package.
Despite the resolution of the immediate threat, many questions remain unanswered.
Officials have not yet disclosed when the package was originally delivered to the Supreme Court building or identified where it was sent from.
Authorities have also not revealed whether they have identified any suspects in connection with the incident.
Alberto Rodriguez, communications director with the Arizona Supreme Court, spoke to the Post about the experience from an employee’s perspective.
Rodriguez said, “When they notified all staff that we needed to evacuate, I think there was a lot of questions that we didn’t necessarily know about, speaking as a general employee of the Supreme Court. We’re just following directions.”
Rodriguez shared his personal reaction to the frightening situation.
“I don’t want to speak on behalf of any of my colleagues, but personally, it’s just one of those things where it doesn’t feel good when it gets to your workplace. You hear about it all the time, but it’s unfortunate that it reached the Arizona Supreme Court, where we had to have this evacuation,” he added.
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