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Deputies: 'Suspicious letter' containing white powder sent to Wakulla High School, investigation underway

WCSO investigating a suspicious incident at Wakulla High School
Posted at 3:05 PM, Feb 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-17 17:35:13-05

WAKULLA, Fla. (WTXL) — The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office says after preliminary testing there does appear to be any threat to the school or community after Wakulla High School received a threatening letter with white powder.

According to WCSO, at approximately 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, after students had been released for the day, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office Resource Officer was made aware of a suspicious letter sent to Wakulla High School.

The letter made threats of violence against the school and contained an unknown white powder, which was noted by the writer to be anthrax, WCSOs report stated.

WCSO said the letter had been sent to the school and opened by a school administration employee, with no students present. Other deputies along with multiple other local, state, and federal agencies responded to assist in the investigation.

According to the report, those adults on the scene who had been exposed were quarantined in an administrative office until it was deemed safe to leave.

The substance was tested on-site and the preliminary test appears to show the white powder as being talcum powder. At this time there does not appear to be an ongoing threat to the school or to the community.

The preliminary test of the powder was negative for anthrax or any other harmful substance.

WCSO takes the safety of students and school staff seriously and is always on the lookout for potential threats. However, based on the investigation so far, the threat of school violence mentioned in the letter do not appear credible.

This investigation is ongoing, and based on the nature of the case, it is being turned over to investigators with the FBI and Postal Service.


The Wakulla County Sheriff's Office is investigating a "suspicious incident" at Wakulla High School

According to WCSO, after school let out and all students had left for the day, deputies working on the campus were made aware of a suspicious letter sent to the school.

The letter contained a white powder inside, which deputies were not aware of until after the letter had been opened.

Other local agencies are assisting WCSO in investigating the incident.

WCSO said at this time it does not appear any students were affected, nor does the community at large appear to be at risk.

This is a developing case and WCSO will provide more details as they become available.

WCSO is currently investigating a suspicious incident at Wakulla High School.

Posted by Wakulla County Sheriff's Office Sheriff Jared Miller on Wednesday, February 17, 2021