Letter to Obama Had Suspicious Powder Inside
Powder Turns Out to Be Harmless
Thursday, Jul 30, 2009 | Updated 1:44 PM CDT
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A letter containing a suspicious white powder was sent to Springfield, addressed to President-elect Barack Obama.
Two Springfield office buildings were locked down Monday after a letter addressed to President-elect Barack Obama was found to contain a suspicious powder.
The powder turned out to be harmless.
The letter was opened about 3 p.m. at the Willard Ice Building, home to the state Department of Revenue, then transferred to the Department of Aging, Springfield Fire Department division chief Bob Reside said.
Reside did not know why the letter was moved. Staff at the Department of Aging called 911, and hazmat teams locked down both buildings for several hours.
He said the letter's return address was in Chicago, where a man suspected of sending it was taken into custody.
Chicago police could not confirm Monday evening that a suspect was in custody.
Copyright Associated Press
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