Photo: Dennis Macdonald / Stockbyte Unreleased / Getty Images
The Arizona Supreme Court building in Phoenix was evacuated on Monday (January 5) after a package tested positive for a homemade explosive substance. The evacuation occurred around 8 a.m. local time, affecting multiple nearby buildings, including the Arizona Department of Education, according to a joint statement by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the state Supreme Court.
The suspicious package, discovered in the building's mailroom, contained multiple vials, two of which tested positive for explosives. The Arizona DPS, along with local, state, and federal agencies, responded to the incident. A trained technician later removed the explosive device and placed it in a Mobile Explosive Containment Vessel for safe detonation.
Bernard Zapor, a retired ATF Special Agent in Charge, emphasized the seriousness with which authorities treat such threats. "From the time they showed up, it’s a device," Zapor explained to KPHO. "Whether it is or not doesn’t matter, because they have to treat it as if it’s the most dangerous thing ever."
The building was cleared for reentry around 3:30 p.m., and employees were allowed to return to work the following day. No injuries were reported, and the investigation into the package's origin and delivery is ongoing.
Alberto Rodriguez, communications director with the Arizona Supreme Court, expressed the unsettling nature of the incident, stating, "It’s unfortunate that it reached the Arizona Supreme Court, where we had to have this evacuation."
The DPS and other agencies continue to investigate the matter, and further information will be released as it becomes available.