The number of suspicious packages and letters reportedly sent to public officials across Kansas continued to rise, totaling more than 100 as of Sunday, federal authorities said.
Alarm over the mail, which contain a white powder, was initially raised Friday when the Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced more than 30 letters had been sent to Kansas lawmakers and other public officials. Kansas Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach was among the recipients.
The total more than doubled to about 70 letters on Saturday, authorities said. The KBI gave the latest figure in the triple digits Sunday afternoon.
Initial testing showed the powdery substance was likely not a biological agent such as anthrax or ricin, KBI spokeswoman Melissa Underwood said Sunday evening. But this does not mean the substance is not toxic, she added. Testing will continue.
On Friday, Tom Day, the director of Legislative Administrative Services, told lawmakers in an email that the letters first discovered had return addresses in Topeka and Kansas City.
KBI officials have said that law enforcement is collecting the letters as part of the investigation. Hazmat teams are being used as a precaution.
“Currently, no injuries have been reported, but we ask everyone to remain vigilant in handling mail,” Friday’s KBI statement read. Media had not been notified of any injuries as of Sunday.
The Progressive Caucus, LGBTQ+ Caucus, and the Kansas Young Democrats condemned the letters in a statement saying: “Whether the powder contains an actually threatening substance or is intended as a threat and contains a benign substance, this behavior is unacceptable and is horrific.”
The KBI is being assisted by the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and local police and fire departments in responding to the letters, a KBI spokesperson said.
Anyone who receives a similar letter is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KSCRIME or 1-800-572-7463.
