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The evacuation began around 9:45 a.m. after the discoverer,
whose identity wasn't released, brought the object indoors.
Authorities announced in late afternoon the building would not
reopen Tuesday.
Gov. Mark Gordon was among those evacuated, as well as other
members of the Wyoming Stable Token Commission who were meeting
in a basement-level room near the Capitol, located in Cheyenne.
Authorities did not elaborate on what was found except that it
appeared homemade and not a factory produced object such as a
military round, Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesperson Aaron Brown
said. Whether the object was rendered safe in any way also was
not immediately disclosed, but patrol officials said anyone with
information should contact the state Division of Criminal
Investigation.
“Whether it’s real or not, our biggest concern is safety of the
public,” Brown said.
Police closed nearby streets to traffic but reopened them by
evening. Workers who sheltered in place in two state office
buildings connected to the Capitol by an underground passageway
were allowed to leave through designated exits in the afternoon.
The governor, state auditor and state treasurer were among the
committee members who halted their meeting in room off the
corridor and evacuated from the area, said Amy Edmonds, the
governor's spokesperson.
A video recording showed the sparsely attended meeting being
adjourned for the evacuation almost an hour after it began.
Gordon was working with law enforcement and monitoring the
situation, Edmonds said.
The Wyoming Capitol is home to the main offices of the governor,
secretary of state, state auditor, state superintendent of
public instruction, and attorney general, as well as the state
House and Senate chambers.
Dating to 1890, the year that Wyoming became a state, the
building reopened in 2019 following a three-year renovation.
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