Kansas: 100 Letters With White Powder Sent to Officials

Facts

• US State and federal agencies have launched an investigation after more than 100 state legislators and public officials in Kansas received letters containing suspicious white powder.¹
• The letters were sent to legislators at their homes, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigations are investigating the case. No injuries have been reported, and preliminary tests on the substance were negative for typical hazardous toxins.²
• "Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance," the Kansas Bureau of Investigations said.³
• State House Speaker Daniel Hawkins, a Republican, and Rep. Stephen Owens, also a Republican, confirmed that they had received letters with the unknown substance. They believed the others who received them were also Republicans.¹
• Federal law enforcement officials said that the list of intended recipients of white powder letters has expanded beyond the State of Kansas. Letters with notes and a white powdery substance were addressed to figures including former President Trump and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.⁴
• According to Republican state Sen. Molly Baumgardner, who received one of the letters, the message was intended to be threatening. It read in part, "It is important not to choke on your ambition." The sender described the letter as a "gift" and referred to themselves as "your secret despirer," a word derived from despise.⁵

Sources: ¹CNN (a), ²US News & World Report, ³CNN (b), ⁴ABC News, and ⁵ABC7 New York.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by WIBW. The case continues to develop as officials search for those behind this dangerous act. Kansas officials have taken the threat in the letter filled with white powder seriously and are urging citizens to remain vigilant as they open their mail. The state legislature will not be intimidated by extremists who look to undermine the will of the people.
• Narrative B, as provided by Slate. Federal officials in hazmat suits are once again appearing in news reports. Twenty-odd years after the forgotten panic over the Anthrax attacks following 9/11 —when deadly poison was sent to famous politicians and journalists — a suspicious incident with white powder has happened again. The Kansas letters are a stark reminder of how vulnerable modern society is to bioterror threats.