(ABC 6 News) — According to Sheriff Ryan Shea, shortly after 1:30 PM on Thursday, the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office received a call over 911. 

The caller said a bomb was planted in the “Albert Lea Courthouse” and was demanding $1 million.  The caller said they would call after 2 PM with further instructions.

The Freeborn County Government Center was evacuated and employees were sent home for the day while dispatch was set up at an alternative site. 

A sweep of the building was completed, and nothing suspicious was noted as bomb detection dogs were called to assist from Olmsted County as well as Rochester PD.

The all clear for the building was given around 5:30pm, and the investigation into the origin of the call is still ongoing.

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(ABC 6 News) — A bomb threat has been confirmed at the Freeborn County Government Center on Thursday afternoon.

According to Sheriff Ryan Shea, the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call from a male with a distorted voice. The male claimed to have planted a bomb within the courthouse and wanted a $1 million ransom, or it would be detonated and said he would call at 2 PM for the money and hung up.

The Government Center was then evacuated and swept with employees being sent home, but they did not find anything. An Olmsted County bomb dog then arrived at 3:30 PM and is currently searching the building.

Sheriff Shea said that at this point, FCSO does not believe the threat is legitimate but said “we’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Shea also mentioned that this bomb threat likely is not related the threat on July 5th when a lockbox with a pipe bomb was found in a vehicle, saying, “On July 5th, a piece of evident was actually brought in by ALPD … something from a lockbox inside a vehicle that actually had a pipe bomb in it. So this one is completely different, we don’t believe it’s related.”

The investigation into who made the call is ongoing.

This is a developing story.