Police in Ankeny, Iowa, said they defused a live pipe bomb after it was found by two dog walkers at a polling place, during the vote in a local election on Tuesday.
“Ankeny officers were called to the Lakeside Center, 400 NW Lakeshore Drive, in reference to a suspicious device,” the city said on Tuesday. “When the officers arrived, they observed what appeared to be a pipe bomb. The Lakeside Center was being used as a polling place today for the special election for the Ankeny community school district and officers immediately evacuated the building.”
Once called to the scene, the police said they had deployed a bomb squad and neutralized the threat.
Local police said they had no clue as to who left the bomb in the center and added that they had received no reports of other devices or threats to other polling stations.
Voting at the Lakeside Center was interrupted for about three hours during the incident, election officials said.
Rep. Cindy Axne
Cindy AxneDemocrats ask for help to waive unemployment benefit tax taxes Iowa Democrat is quarantined after positive employee test for COVID-19 On The Money: Biden calls Dems and asks for big COVID bill | SEC’s Biden picks up as GameStop drama unfolds | Bezos stepping down as CEO of Amazon MAIS (D-Iowa) said she was deeply concerned about the disclosure.
“This threat to our elections is unacceptable, and those responsible must be held responsible for this attempted violence against our democracy and its citizens,” said Axne in a statement. “I want to thank our officers, first respondents and local election officials who acted quickly to protect Iowa voters and election officials.”
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) praised local officials for their timely response to the threat.
“Great job today @Polkauditorfitz, election officials, police and everyone involved in ensuring the safety of voters and the public, ” he tweeted, marking Polk County auditor Jamie Fitzgerald. “Thank you all. A real team effort.”
Since the 2020 presidential election, law enforcement officials have warned against the growing threat of political violence.
In January, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin due to an “intensified threat environment in the United States”.
“The information suggests that some ideologically motivated violent extremists who object to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived complaints fueled by false narratives, may continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence,” the bulletin said.
A survey in February found that 1 in 3 Americans believes that violence is justified if American leaders do not protect the country.