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.
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.
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.
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.
