Deputy Sweetwater County Attorney John DeLeon, left, and Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport director Devon Brubaker, right, check emails and messages while Sweetwater County Commissioner Mary Thoman, center, speaks with another county employee as the group waits for the county courthouse to be secured following threats issued against the county attorney's office and the commissioners.
A threat made against the Sweetwater County Attorney's Office and the Sweetwater County Commissioners resulted in the county courthouse being locked down Tuesday morning.
The building was locked down at about 9:35 a.m. after an individual called the county's dispatch center and issued a threat against the courthouse. According to Sweetwater County Commissioner Randy Wendling, the threat revolved around a claim the caller made about their plans to gun down employees in the Sweetwater County Attorney's Office and attack the county commissioners. He said the threat also alleged a pipe bomb had been hidden in the courthouse. The threat also resulted in Green River City Hall also being locked down due to its proximity to the courthouse.
At this time, no arrests were made in connection to the threats.
A Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting was taking place prior to the lockdown and was stopped once the lockdown began. Wendling then had everyone in the meeting room evacuate to an adjoining windowless room, citing concerns about how exposed the meeting room's windows left its occupants. Armed deputies later escorted the group and other county employees to the Sweetwater County Clerk's Office as they secured the building.
Deputies from the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Green River Police Department searched the building, lifting the lockdown at about 10:45 a.m.
Sweetwater County Treasurer Joe Barbuto said county employees had undergone an active shooter training in November that helped his staff and other county employees handle the situation. Barbuto said the two employees from his office were offering tips to other staffers about how they should approach the situation.
"You never want to use that kind of training, but it was an asset for our coworkers this morning," Barbuto said.
Sgt. Dave Johnson of the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office said the program utilized by the sheriff's office is ALICE Training, which focuses on active shooter situations and how to respond.
"We try to give them the tools to use aside from cowering under desks – we don't want them actively being victims," Johnson said.
He said the program offers tips on how to evade or counter someone attempting to shoot people, along with other foundational information to help someone in an active shooter situation. Johnson also said the sheriff's office offers the training to any group that requests it, which can be made through Deputy Jason Mower or himself.
The incident is still under investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies.
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