ATLANTA (AP) — A portion of an Atlanta courthouse was cleared on Friday following the delivery of a package or letter containing white powder to the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Atlanta Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Ronald Slatton confirmed that firefighters determined the substance, after a 30-minute hazardous materials assessment, was merely a harmless starch or salt. The courthouse was promptly reopened thereafter.
As a precaution, four individuals experiencing headaches were transported to a hospital, and the third floor of the expansive Fulton County courthouse complex was evacuated, stated Slatton. The origin of the letter was not disclosed beyond its delivery to the district attorney’s office. When questioned about a possible motive, Slatton deferred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
Though it remains unclear if the incident is being probed as a potential crime, Officer Aaron Fix of the Atlanta Police Department redirected inquiries to Atlanta Fire Rescue. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, responsible for courthouse security, confirmed it was not conducting an investigation, as relayed by spokesperson Natalie Ammons.
A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s office expressed gratitude for the swift and efficient response from Atlanta and Fulton County authorities in safeguarding their colleagues and the public. Notably, Willis, a Democrat, achieved indictments against then-President Donald Trump and 18 others in August 2023, utilizing Georgia’s anti-racketeering statute to allege their involvement in an illicit effort to overturn Trump’s narrow 2020 election defeat in Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden.
While four individuals later pleaded guilty, a state appeals court disqualified Willis from the case in December due to an “appearance of impropriety” linked to a romantic association with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had appointed. Willis is currently seeking a reversal of her disqualification from the Georgia Supreme Court.
