Most of Connecticut's congressional delegation and two from neighboring states 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.
Connecticut Democratic Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Rosa DeLauro announced in written statements that they had been targeted. So too did Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Seth Magazine of Rhode Island.
The office of Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., confirmed to NBC News that he too was a target, as well. CBS' local affiliate reported earlier Thursday that Murphy received the threat.
Authorities say they are tracking a wave of threats against lawmakers that began earlier this week.
"We’re working that hard with the FBI," President Joe Biden told reporters with him in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he is celebrating Thanksgiving with his family.
A spokesperson for Murphy said the threat on the senator's Hartford home "appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures."
The U.S. Capitol Police, which is charged with protecting lawmakers, is working the case, a spokesperson said, but would not reveal more information about potential suspects or motives.
“Anytime a Member of Congress is the victim of a ‘swatting’ incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners,” said Brianna Burch, a spokesperson for the agency. “To protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time.”
Larson also alluded to the threats, 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 on X that the police notified her 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 did not find bombs or "explosive materials," Hayes said.
"At this time the investigation is ongoing," she 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 Thursday 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, in which he also expressed gratitude for law enforcement.
Courtney’s spokesperson said in a statement that Courtney 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."
DeLauro said on X that she received a threat similar to that of her colleagues and that New Haven police determined there was no bomb.
"I am grateful for local, state, and federal law enforcements efforts to keep me, my colleagues, and our community safe today," she said.
The FBI, which did not release any information about the investigation, said it is "working with our state and local partners on these matters."
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."
Wolcott Police Chief Edward Stephens, whose department responded to the threat against Hayes, told NBC News that a suspect has not been identified but that 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 requests for comment.
Capitol Police said in January that it investigated more than 8,000 incidents involving threats to members of Congress last year, including "concerning statements and direct threats."
The 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.
Several of President-elect Donald Trump's planned administration officials were targeted with bomb and "swatting" threats Tuesday and Wednesday.
