Lockdown Lifted At Illinois State Capitol; White Powder Deemed Not To Be Harmful
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Illinois State Capitol was locked down Thursday afternoon, after a white powder was found in a bathroom, but crews later determined the substance was not dangerous.
The statehouse was locked down after an unidentified white powder was found in a second-floor restroom shortly after 1 p.m.
People inside the building were told to shelter in place, and no one was being allowed in or out while the Springfield Fire Department and Springfield Police Department investigated.
Lockdown has been lifted. Everyone is safe. Officials said someone reported a strange powder in a bathroom, but it was not harmful or dangerous. Some folks nerves are on edge today with news of suspicious packages targeting political figures across the country. No connection. https://t.co/G4XNecb4dx
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) October 25, 2018
Hazardous materials teams later determined the substance was not harmful, and the lockdown was lifted around 2:30 p.m.
The capitol also was locked down in July 2017, after a woman sprinkled a white, powdery substance in the building just before a budget vote. The woman was released without charges after several hours of questioning. The substance in that case turned out to be harmless.