AUSTIN (KXAN) — Part of the Texas State Capitol complex reopened to the public after evacuation due to a suspicious package. According to DPS, the scene is clear and no viable threat was discovered.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said the evacuation was limited to two hallways in the Capitol extension.
State Rep. Matt Schaefer tweeted about the evacuation at 1:51 p.m. Tuesday. Schaefer, R-Tyler, has his offices located in the second level of the extension.
Austin police officers were called to Lavaca Street and West 15th Street — near the northwest corner of the Capitol grounds — at 1:20 p.m. for the report of a suspicious package.
The package was mailed to State Representative Poncho Nevarez. Nevarez is a Democrat from Eagle Pass, along the border.
According to Nevarez, the package was made up of several boxes in one with unusual note cards inside. Nevarez was not at the Capitol when the package was delivered, but two of his staffers were present and evacuated along with the nearby offices.
