Sender may be identified after suspicious letter triggers Hazmat response in Topeka

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Law enforcement officials believe they have identified the person who sent a suspicious letter to the Secretary of State’s Office triggering a Hazmat response earlier in the week.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation tells 13 NEWS that on Wednesday, Nov. 15, the person responsible for the delivery of a suspicious package to the Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday had been identified.

Around 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday, law enforcement officials were alerted that a letter that contained a suspicious substance had been received. Memorial Hall, the building that houses the Secretary of State’s Office and the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, was evacuated.

Hazmat crews could be seen entering Memorial Hall around 12:20 p.m.

The KBI said preliminary testing found that the substance in the letter was non-hazardous. Meanwhile, testing continues and final lab results remain pending.

Currently, the Bureau noted there is no reason to believe the incident is related to letters that contained a white powder substance that had been received by more than 100 lawmakers in June. It also does not appear connected to recent incidents in other states where suspicious mail was sent to ballot-counting centers.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have kept the identity of the person they believe to be responsible under wraps.

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