Man arrested for Florida Capitol bomb threat

Mark W. Clark mugshot via Tallahassee Police Department.

The Tallahassee Police Department on Thursday arrested a man in connection to the overnight bomb threat made against the Florida Capitol Complex.

Mark Wayne Clark, 61, faces charges including making a false bomb threat in reference to state-owned property. Police made contact with the man at a nearby sports bar.

The Florida Capitol Complex closed sometime around 3 a.m. when the bomb threat was made, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Law enforcement and police K9s cleared the building around 6:15 a.m., but the Capitol remained closed till 9 a.m. out of an “abundance of caution.”

“This morning I spoke w/ FDLE and Capitol Police,” House Speaker Chris Sprowls tweeted. “They worked through the night and early this morning to ensure the safety of the Capitol Complex. The vigilance and dedication of the Tallahassee Police Department, FDLE, FDI, our Capitol Police and all other agencies involved is deeply appreciated.”

Thursday’s bomb threat marks the end of what otherwise was an uneventful week at the Capitol.

National Guardsmen and law enforcement officers filled the Florida Capitol over the weekend after the FBI warned of a possibility of armed protests at all 50 state capitol buildings sometime this week.

Notably, tensions in Florida grew high Saturday when federal authorities arrested an Army veteran who plotted to confront Capitol protesters with a firearm.

The arrested Army veteran and Tallahassee resident, Daniel Baker, encouraged others to join his violent plot via social media accounts.

Senate President Wilton Simpson has also told staff at multiple times in the last week to work from home as a safety measure.

Yet despite the FBI warning and heightened security posture, even Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that the Florida Capitol was absent of protests and without incident.

Two weeks ago, pro-Donald Trump rioters sieged the U.S. Capitol during certification of President Joe Biden’s electoral college victory.

Five died during the siege.