Why did Maryland State House go into lockdown? Senate President Bill Ferguson thanks police after shelter-in-place is lifted

The Maryland State House was placed on lockdown on February 29, 2024, due to an alleged “security threat.” As per the Annapolis Police, the threat came from an anonymous phone call on Thursday evening.

As soon as the threatening phone call was made to the Maryland State House, a shelter-in-place was placed, as many state employees like Governor Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, and many more state employees were inside the building.

After a proper investigation, the officials then lifted the lockdown and shelter-in-place from the Maryland State House around 6:52 PM, and all of the officials present inside the building were escorted out safely. Senator Bill Ferguson, who was present inside the Maryland State House, thanked the first responders for their swiftness by sharing a post on X.

Social media users left shocked as an anonymous call threatening officials inside the government building turned out to be a hoax call. (Image via Bill Ferguson/ X)

The lockdown was lifted after police could not find anything suspicious inside the building. While the police already specified how the phone call was from an anonymous caller, at the moment, they have not been able to identify any suspects who might be behind the hoax call.

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"They define what it means to be a Marylander”: Maryland Governor Wes Moore thanked the police for their swiftness as the Maryland State House was put in lockdown

As the Maryland State House was put on lockdown after a potential threat, the police ran inside it to keep all the officials present inside the building safe. As per The Sun, as everything was marked safe inside the building, Maryland Governor Wes Moore thanked the police department and said:

"Our family is grateful for the members of the Maryland Capitol Police, Maryland State Police, Annapolis Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department who secured the State House Grounds and kept us safe today. These brave men and women aren't just Maryland's finest – they're Maryland's promise. They define what it means to be a Marylander."

On the other hand, many Senators, like Senator Johnny Ray Salling, who was present inside the Maryland State House for a state budget meeting, claimed that they were the last ones to know about what was happening inside as they were on the top floor. However, he claimed that they were informed and told to stay inside as there was an “active shooter.”

Furthermore, Adam Dubitsky, an official working for former Governor Larry Hogan, as reported by CBS, said:

"Around 5 p.m., I was walking past the State House on State Circle, the loop that goes around it, and an Annapolis City Police car showed up. The officer got out very quickly with their gun drawn and started rushing toward the State House.”

He narrated the entire scene and said:

“There was no yelling, other than telling people to get off the sidewalk, but they had the tactical team lined up, and also regular uniformed officers, as you've seen in all too many unfortunate videos. They all just entered the building, There was not a lot of commotion, not a lot of panic. They just simply looked like they were going through the motions of what they had to do."

On the other hand, many other people present inside the building also stated that the entire time the police were investigating, it was a scary time. Many also expressed their apprehension that even though the lockdown ended peacefully, they are still concerned about people threatening the Maryland State House in between sessions.