White powder substance found at Cummings Courthouse in envelope addressed by inmate, authorities say
UPDATE: No toxins found in substance mailed by inmate to Baltimore courthouse, officials say
BALTIMORE - An envelope addressed by an inmate from a Maryland correctional facility with a white powder substance was found in a judge's chamber in the Cummings Courthouse, on Calvert Street, Monday afternoon in Baltimore, according to the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office.
Hazmat crews are investigating the substance that was contained to the second floor of the courthouse.
Shortly after 6 p.m., the sheriff's office said the fire department in scaling back its operations. The second floor remains closed pending the results of the white powder analysis.
#BREAKING: Calvert St is partially blocked at Fayette St - Baltimore City Fire Chief Cartwright confirms to @wjz the hazmat task force is inside Cummings Courthouse after an envelope containing a suspicious powder was found in a judge’s chamber pic.twitter.com/xkhMVcMLJl
— Cristina Mendez (@CrisMendezTV) October 16, 2023
The Letter contained an unknown white powder substance. The employee upon discovering the white powder immediately contacted the Sheriff's office, which enacted the established protocol for this type of incident and contacted the Baltimore City department hazmat unit, that is...
— Baltimore City Sheriff's Office (@bmoresheriff) October 16, 2023
According to WJZ's Cristina Mendez, several people had left the courthouse in hazmat suits, masks and got rinsed down with a hose. The gear was then placed into bags.
People have been advised to avoid the area.
More people are exiting the courthouse in hazmat suits, masks. After being rinsed off, the gear is then being put into bags @wjz pic.twitter.com/Lz0mdx5g15
— Cristina Mendez (@CrisMendezTV) October 16, 2023
According to Baltimore Fire spokesperson Kevin Cartwright, no one has shown any signs or symptoms of illness, but some are being evaluated as a precaution.
#UPDATE: Sheriff’s Office says 3 people in close proximity to the envelope when it was opened are being isolated and transported to a medical facility for precaution while further testing is done @wjz pic.twitter.com/lWL2Yw2a19
— Cristina Mendez (@CrisMendezTV) October 16, 2023
The Fire Department say there is no airborne threat and that any potential exposure is localized to the three individuals that are currently isolated.
The Baltimore City Sheriff's Office is leading the criminal investigation and are collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. The Sheriff's Office is working with the Baltimore Police Department, United States Postal Service, the ATF, the FBI, the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center and Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
"We have limited information but what we can say is that we believe, at this point, it came through the United States Postal Service," said Baltimore City Sheriff Sam Cogen. "Doing something like this is a very, very, very serious thing and we reached out to our federal, state and local partners and we'll be doing everything we can to try to solve this."
WJZ will have updates as they become available.