CA State Capitol Evacuated Following ‘Credible Threat’ by Known Shooting Suspect

The California State Capitol in Sacramento was closed for several hours Thursday when a man linked to a hospital window shooting incident in Roseville the day before made a “credible threat” on the Capitol Building.

On Wednesday, 30-year-old Jackson Pinney fired at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Roseville from his pickup truck. Pinney then allegedly fired again in nearby Citrus Heights. While police searched for him throughout the night, a new credible threat from Pinney surfaced on Thursday morning. While the details of the threat have not yet been released, a memo was quickly sent explaining that the Assembly session would now be a check-in session, the Senate session would be moved to the O Street Annex building, and that staff would could work from home.

Law enforcement is asking for the public’s help for information on a suspect they describe as armed and dangerous. They believe he may be involved in a shooting in Roseville and Citrus Heights last night and a threat to the Capitol this morning. pic.twitter.com/SzhcaPNd70

— Lysée Mitri (@LyseeMitri) April 13, 2023

“The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has notified the Senate of a threat they consider to be credible involving the Capitol. The CHP and security partners are present in higher numbers in the Capitol area, and are alert of the situation. At this time, Floor Session has been delayed until 9:45 a.m. and will be held in the 1021 O Street building, Committee Room 1200,” the memo said.

“Dana,” a Capitol staffer added, “I got a call just as I was heading out the door to stay home today. When I asked what it was, my boss told me, ‘This is probably nothing, but there was a threat made against the Capitol this morning.’ They also told me that I’d know more when they knew more. You need to be prepared for anything in this job, so it wasn’t exactly a big deal, but it really made you want to know what it was all about. They don’t move Senate session to another building like that at the drop of a hat.”

Security was ramped up, with members of the California Highway Patrol arriving to help secure the area.

NEW: The CA state Capitol is now temporarily closed. Doors are locked and this sign is up. pic.twitter.com/2D1BpkFQU2

— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) April 13, 2023

By 10 A.M. the threat had diminished, with lawmakers and the public alike being allowed back into the Capitol.

“This morning, we received information from the California Highway Patrol regarding a threat involving the Capitol,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Los Angeles)  in a statement on Thursday. “We notified staff and members swiftly and out of an abundance of caution, Senate session was redirected to the O Street building and Assembly Session was modified to be a check-in session. Staff who are able to work remotely were allowed to do so. We are grateful to the CHP, Sergeants-at-Arms, Secretary of the Senate, the Assembly Chief Administrative officer, and our law enforcement partners for responding quickly to keep members of the Legislature and our staff safe. We apologize for the adjustments and interruptions to the members of the public who planned to come to the Capitol today to make their voices heard. In this situation, we must put everyone’s safety and security first. We encourage everyone to stay alert and stay safe.”

Meanwhile, Pinney remained at-large until around 4 P.M., when the CHP announced that Pinney had been arrested at the intersection of Auburn-Folsom Road and Douglas Boulevard in nearby Granite Bay

“The whole situation was scary,” added Dana. “But everyone rolled with it and we still got everything we needed to get done today. We’ve proved that during past threats and the pandemic. We can keep the Capitol functioning no matter what pretty much.”

Details of the arrest, and what exactly the threat the shooter made against the Capitol, are expected to be released soon.