Most of Connecticut’s congressional delegation said they were the subject of bomb threats Thursday at their homes as they were preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, although no bombs ultimately were found.
Democratic Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney and John Larson announced in written statements that they had been targeted. The office of Sen. Chris Murphy, also a Democrat, confirmed to NBC News that he was a target as well. CBS’ local affiliate reported earlier Thursday that Murphy received the threat.
“On Thanksgiving, Senator Murphy’s home in Hartford was the target of a bomb threat, which appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures,” a spokesperson for the senator said in a statement.
Larson also alluded to the threats against his colleagues, saying in a statement that he was “grateful that my colleagues in the Connecticut Congressional Delegation, who received similar threats, are also safe.”
Hayes said in a post to X that she was notified by police Thursday morning that “they received a threatening email stating a pipe bomb had been placed in the mailbox at my home.” Local and state police who responded to the threat did not find bombs or “explosive materials,” Hayes said.
“At this time the investigation is ongoing,” Hayes continued. “I thank law enforcement for their swift attention to this matter, their actions demonstrate there is no place in our country for political violence.”
Similarly, Himes said in a statement on X that he was notified this morning about a bomb threat targeting his home, though police found “no evidence of a bomb.”
“There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility,” Himes said in a statement, where he also expressed gratitude for law enforcement.
Courtney’s spokesperson said in a statement that the congressman and his wife Audrey Courtney “extend their utmost gratitude to the law enforcement officers, whose response should signal to perpetrators that these types of threats will not be tolerated.”
Neither the U.S. Capitol Police nor the FBI immediately responded to NBC News’ request for comment. Connecticut State Police deferred a request for more information about the incidents to local police departments that “were the main investigators of each threat.”
The Vernon Police Department, which responded to the threat against Courtney, said in a statement that “the incident remains under investigation and no charges have been filed at this time.”
Chief Edward Stephens of the Wolcott Police Department, which responded to the threat against Hayes, told NBC News that a suspect has not been identified, but the department is working to trace the email used to send the threat. Stephens said his department is coordinating with the state police and other agencies.
Other local police departments that responded to the incidents did not immediately reply to NBC News’ requests for comment.
The Capitol Police said in January that it had investigated more than 8,000 incidents involving threats to members of Congress last year, including “concerning statements and direct threats.”
That number was an increase from the year before, when the agency investigated more than 7,500 threats. The final statistics for 2024 are not yet available.
The latest threats to lawmakers come after several of President-elect Donald Trump’s planned administration officials were targeted with bomb and “swatting” threats on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Kelly O’Donnell contributed.
