UPDATE: Suspicious object found at Middle Georgia Regional Airport during Raffensperger campaign stop
According to the sheriff’s office, the Macon-Bibb Emergency 911 Center was notified about the incident at 8:21 a.m.
UPDATE (11:29 A.M.) The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says a suspicious object was found Tuesday morning inside a secure area of the Middle Georgia Regional Airport during a sweep of the evacuated airport.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Macon-Bibb Emergency 911 Center was notified about the incident at 8:21 a.m.
Patrol deputies and the E.O.D. Bomb Unit canines detected the suspicious object inside a vending machine in a secure area of the airport. The Bomb Squad secured the object for examination, according to the sheriff’s office.
After a thorough sweep of the airport and further investigation, officials say no hazardous devices were detected.
There were no injuries reported, and officials say no staff or patrons were inside the airport when the object was found.
The Middle Georgia Regional Airport has since reopened following the close of the investigation.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger also addressed the situation and released the following statement to 41NBC:
“Thank you for being out here today. It’s not exactly the spot that we had envisioned, but it’s clear that when you stand on principle, when you do the right thing, you put people ahead of politics, some folks just won’t like you. In fact, some people will hate you, even want to try and hurt you. So yes, we are dealing with an active threat, and no, I refuse to back down. I will fight for what’s right. I will stand for you. And I will stand for Georgia no matter what. Now that’s all I can say right now, and we’ll let law enforcement handle this and provide any additional information as it comes out. Thank you for being here.”
ORIGINAL (10:24 A.M.)
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — 41NBC is working to learn more after a large law enforcement response Tuesday morning near a campaign stop for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon.
Raffensperger’s campaign announced a 10 a.m. stop in Macon as part of a statewide fly-around tour tied to his campaign for governor.
41NBC Daybreak anchor and reporter Tyrik Wynn, who is at the event, said people in the area were being told to stay back. Photos from the scene also appeared to show a bomb squad vehicle near the event location.
41NBC has reached out to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and Raffensperger’s campaign for more information about the situation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
