Statewide Anthrax Scare

BREAKING NEWS

The Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating a statewide anthrax scare. Local lawmakers are among the targets.

Eight letters with white powder were sent to five locations:
- Congressman Mike Rogers office at the federal courthouse in Anniston
- Senator Richard Shelby's office at a federal building in Birmingham
- Rogers', Shelby's and Senator Jeff Sessions' offices at the state capitol building in Montgomery.
- Congressman Jo Bonner's offices in Mobile and Foley

The 15th floor of the RSA Tower in downtown Mobile, where one of Bonner's offices is located, was evacuated as a precaution. So was Bonner's office in Foley. It's located in a shopping center on McKenzie Street. More than a dozen businesses in that shopping center, including the News 5 bureau, were also evacuated.

The Robert Vance Federal Building in Birmingham will be closed until Wednesday. An employee catching up on work discovered an envelope containing white powder over the weekend. Initial tests for anthrax were negative, but five people are being treated with antibiotics after potentially being exposed to the substance. The building houses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Birmingham.

The FBI says all eight letters made reference to anthrax. But so far, all tests have come back negative. The FBI says more letters could be out there.

We'll have the latest in a live report tonight on News 5 at 5 and 6.

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