Mountain Home buildings evacuate, lock down after threatening note on courthouse door
Parts of downtown Mountain Home went into lockdown following a threatening note on a courthouse building Thursday morning.
County employees arrived at work to find a note on the door of the Elmore County Courthouse that indicated a potential bomb threat, city of Mountain Home spokesperson Betsy Hiddleston told the Idaho Statesman by phone. The lockdown was lifted at about 11:15 a.m., according to Mountain Home City Hall.
Because it was unclear what location was being threatened, law enforcement evacuated multiple buildings in the area, the Mountain Home News reported. Officials don’t believe Mountain Home city buildings were directly threatened, but some, including City Hall and Hacker Middle School, went into a “soft lockdown” for “extra safety,” Hiddleston said.
“Due to a potential threat at the courthouse, there is an increased police presence in the downtown area,” the city posted on social media. “Multiple businesses and all city facilities have been locked down. Please avoid the downtown area at this time.”
Local law enforcement gathered outside a nearby hardware store while they waited for a bomb-sniffing dog to arrive, according to Mountain Home News.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office declined to provide more information to the Statesman.
This story was originally published January 11, 2024 at 11:49 AM.
