DES MOINES, Iowa — A Wyoming man has been charged in connection to the evacuation at the EMC Expo Center in downtown Des Moines on Thursday.

At around 3 p.m., the Des Moines Police Department and Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the National Speech and Debate Tournament at the EMC Expo Center for a report of a man who got onto the stage and reportedly displayed behavior that “prompted safety concerns.”

According to the DMPD, those safety concerns resulted in the evacuation of the expo center for roughly half an hour while law enforcement personnel searched the building.

Students participating in the tournament told WHO 13 that the man allegedly alluded to a bomb while he was on stage. The DMPD said that no weapons of any kind were found during the search.

On Thursday evening, the DMPD announced that the suspect, identified as 22-year-old Jayden Michael Roccaforte from Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been charged in connection to the incident. Roccaforte was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance.

The remaining competitions scheduled for Thursday night were ultimately canceled and would resume on Friday. Organizers of the tournament released a statement about the incident that reads in part: “We want you to know that we understand how scary that was for all of us. We hear you and, above all, are committed to creating an environment where you feel safe and supported.”

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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