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Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex evacuated due to suspicious package

Posted at 4:18 PM, May 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-18 05:38:47-04

Tampa Fire Rescue responded to the Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex due to a suspicious package on Wednesday. 

According to Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Tampa Fire Rescue, a piece of mail was delivered to an office at the courthouse, and a powdery substance was found inside.

 

 

The building was evacuated as a precaution and the people who had contact with the substance were checked out by paramedics as part of standard procedure.

The TFR Hazardous Materials Incident Team tested the powder with a field test kit and determined the substance to be non-toxic. 

The people in the room with the substance were able to exit the building safely by 5:45 p.m. and no injuries were reported, according to authorities.

HCSO has initiated a criminal investigation to identify who sent the substance, who was the intended targeted and what was the motive. A sample of the substance has also been taken to be tested as part of the ongoing investigation.