California State Capitol staff evacuated Friday after a handwritten threat was reported at a nearby construction site, according to Capitol official.
The site was evacuated at about 11 a.m. Friday after the Senate was alerted by the annex construction team that a threat had been made at the site. Work crews were asked to leave, while Senate employees working in the Historic Capitol Building were also directed to leave the building, according to email sent by California Senate Secretary Erika Contreras.
The Legislative Office Building and Swing Space were not affected and staff there were allowed to remain in their offices. Employees in the affected Capitol Building offices were instructed to work remotely for the rest of the day.
The memo said there was no reason at the time to believe the threat was credible, but the California Highway Patrol was on scene assessing the situation and conducting inspections of the area.
California Capitol reporter Eytan Wallace also reported that Gov. Gavin Newsom was safe and was not in the area. The state Legislature was on recess, meaning members of the Assembly and Senate were back in their districts.
The threat came about a month after the 2026 legislative session ended. Most, if not all, lawmakers were not at the Capitol Friday because the Legislature is on recess, with lawmakers and some staffers back in their home districts.
Authorities have not disclosed what the handwritten note said, who wrote it or whether it identified a specific target. It was also unclear what type of threat was described in the note. No arrests or suspects have been publicly identified.
The evacuation comes just days after Texas authorities arrested a suspect over a “credible threat” to attack the Texas Capitol on October 1. Texas DPS said 40-year-old Benny Caldera Jr. was arrested by DPS SWAT at his residence in Converse and charged with felony terroristic threat against a public servant.