Lockdown Lifted at Norwich Bulletin After Suspicious Letter Found

The Norwich Bulletin was locked down for about three hours after receiving a suspicious letter on Wednesday. 

According to police, a letter was delivered to the building this morning threatening to spread the MRSA virus, which the author claimed to have. The Norwich Bulletin reports that the letter was hand written and included conspiracy theories.

Police said the letter was also covered in an "unknown liquid substance," which raised suspicions.

The Bulletin employee who discovered the letter brought it to the Norwich Police Department around 11 a.m. That employee, an officer and another police department employee were quarantined in the police department lobby, and the fire department was notified, police said.

A hazmat situation was declared and the Norwich Bulletin building was locked down. The Bulletin offices were closed and authorities said the lobby of the police station was also blocked off, but the station was not locked down.

Officials from the Norwich Fire Department, state Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection, Connecticut State Police, the FBI and the Uncas Health District responded to the scene, along with a U.S. Postal Inspector.

Police said the quarantined people were "decontaminated" and the letter was taken away for testing.

The scene was cleared around 2 p.m. and no injuries were reported.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Norwich police at 860-886-5561.

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