Suspicious packages at city court house, state office building, unfounded
UPDATE AS OF 6:30 P.M.: The suspicious package at the state office building on West Preston Street turned out to be computer accessories. Again, heightened caution after the explosive devices that were found earlier today in Annapolis.
UPDATE AS OF 5:45 P.M.: The suspicious package at the Mitchell Courthouse turned out to be a box of toner cartridges, according to police. In light of what happened in Annapolis today, people are being more cautious.
Baltimore police are at a state office building at 201 West Preston St. where a department spokesman says at least one suspicious package was found. Police have no other details of where the packages was or what it contained.
Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright said "no detonation" occurred. There were conflicting reports about whether employees were told to leave; Preston Street is closed in the area; the state complex contains several state buildings, including the the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Howard and Preston streets was closed as of 4:15 p.m.
At the moment, we don't know whether the package contained an explosive or if this is the result of heightened suspicions following the explosives found in two other state buildings in Anne Arundel County..
Also, Maryland State Police just sent out an update on the explosive devices found in two state buildings in Hanover and in Annapolis. No explosion, but a chemical reaction did cause an injury to one mail room employee.
Here's a statement from police:
When the package was opened by a mailroom employee, it triggered a reaction involving smoke and a sulfur-like smell. The employee sustained minor stinging to his fingers, but refused further medical treatment. The employees of the building were immediately evacuated and reentered the building at approximately 2:30 p.m. after the building was declared safe.
At about 12:45 p.m. today, a similar incident occurred on the fourth floor of the Maryland Department of Transportation headquarters, located in Hanover, MD, near BWI airport. When an employee opened the package, a similar reaction to the Jeffrey building incident occurred, but no one was injured. Several employees were transported to the hospital as a precaution.
