FBI investigates white powder packages in metro Atlanta
Suspicious packages sent to Karen Handel, metro Atlanta media outlets
Staff Reports
ATLANTA — David J. LeValley, special agent in charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Atlanta field office, said the agency conducted a series of responses Thursday in connection to suspicious packages containing white powder sent to residents and media outlets in the Atlanta area.
FBI officials said a series of suspicious letters containing white powder was sent to Georgia residents on Thursday, one of which was the residence of U.S. Sixth Congressional District candidate Karen Handel. Concurrent with that incident, the WAGA-Fox 5 DeKalb County television station received a similar letter containing suspicious white powder.
Later that evening, local TV affiliate WXIA 11Alive received a similar suspicious letter containing white powder at its Atlanta offices, officials said.
More than a dozen letters are under review. Of the several letters opened, all contained threat-based content. Nine letters were not delivered after they were intercepted from the U.S. Postal Service prior to delivery, the FBI said.
Officials said initial field testing for all of the letters indicated negative for any known hazards. Additional testing is being conducted at the Georgia Department of Public Health out of an abundance of caution and per hazardous materials protocols.
Anyone with information regarding this matter is asked to contact the FBI office in Atlanta at (404) 679-9000.
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