Several suspicious packages sent to officials at Washington County Courthouse

Several suspicious packages sent to officials at Washington County Courthouse

WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) - Two people went to the hospital out of an abundance of caution and hundreds of employees were sent home after eight suspicious packages arrived at the Washington County Courthouse.

The courthouse was evacuated on Thursday after the FBI said five judges and one county employee received suspicious packages. Two more packages were found addressed to a former county employee.  

According to the FBI, the packages didn't contain any hazardous materials or powder and though the investigation is still ongoing, there isn't believed to be any threat to public safety at this time. 

A courtroom administrator opened the first package addressed to a judge and deemed it suspicious. 

Out of an abundance of caution, that worker went to a hospital for treatment and a judge drove himself to a hospital too.

KDKA-TV's Meghan Schiller talked to county commissioners just shortly after the situation came under control and learned the county did test the contents of the package. 

"The county department of public safety has testing equipment. From the testing equipment that they used, nothing harmful was detected," said Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan.

All the buildings on the campus were searched and about 900 employees were sent home for the day. 

There was a return address on the packages, but officials declined to give more details. 

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