Law enforcement partially evacuated the Texas Capitol on Tuesday evening after a social media post threatened to “take action by shooting and killing those who will not allow lawmakers to leave.”
The Department of Public Safety confirmed the threat and said investigators are working to identify the individual responsible.
The evacuation began around 6:30 p.m., stalling a legislative session as Republicans moved to advance proposals on flood victim aid and new congressional maps.
Police Secure Grounds
Capitol grounds were closed as police responded to the threat.
“The grounds are now being closed due to the threat,” CBS Austin reporter Andrew Freeman posted with footage of law enforcement sealing off the area.
#BREAKING: The grounds are now being closed due to the threat. @cbsaustin pic.twitter.com/yGOdFhM63K
— Andrew Freeman (@AFreemanNews) August 20, 2025
Protest organizer Melody Tremallo said officers told her the building could be cleared “due to an imminent shooter threat.”
While some parts of the grounds remained open, law enforcement heavily guarded lawmakers who stayed inside the House chambers.
Democrats Resist GOP Escort Rule
The scare came as Democrats protested a Republican measure requiring them to stay in the Capitol unless they accepted a police escort to their homes. Several Democrats remained in the building for more than 20 hours.
State Rep. Nicole Collier even slept inside before receiving a supportive call from former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Democrats had returned to Austin this week after leaving the state for two weeks to block the GOP’s redistricting plan, which is projected to give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats.
Reopening
Protesters moved outside the Capitol following the evacuation and remained there until roughly 10 p.m.
The Capitol building reopened at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Penalties for Breaking Quorum
Their walkout comes at a cost: a 2021 Texas law fines lawmakers $500 per day for deliberately breaking quorum. That penalty leaves Democratic lawmakers facing potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
The Department of Public Safety has not announced any arrests tied to the threat.
…and guess which party that shooter belongs to!!!