UPDATE: IL State Capitol lockdown cleared after threat

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Business is back to normal at the Illinois State Capitol after a threat led to a lockdown Tuesday afternoon.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias posted on X, formerly Twitter, at 2:14 p.m. to say his office received notice of a threat involving the Capitol. Out of an abundance of caution, Giannoulias said the Secretary of State Police issued a lockdown and were conducting a sweep of the building.

At 3:24, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that the lockdown was lifted.

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House Republicans were caucusing when they heard the alarms go off.

“I was not happy. I’m used to getting out and going towards threats and looking for the threats as a policeman,” said State Rep. John Cabello.

Cabello, who is a police officer, was protecting the doors where the were to keep everyone safe.

“It was very difficult to just stand there and do nothing,” Cabello added.

Senate Democrats were also caucusing in President Harmon’s office. State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel was leaving the room when she heard over speakers there was a lockdown and they needed to shelter in place.

Loughran Cappel used to be a teacher, and said this experience was all too familiar.

“It is funny because I thought I was kind of through that,” Cappel said. “We would practice for, you know, school shootings and lockdowns, but I just think the threat’s everywhere.”

In his post announcing the end of the lockdown, Gov. Pritzker also thanked police for keeping everyone safe.

“Thank you to our Illinois Secretary of State Police for their quick response today,” Pritzker said in the social media post. “Our first responders go above and beyond to keep us all safe with their bravery and service. That’s Illinois strong.”

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