15 November 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT)- Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is responding to an emergency evacuation at a state office building in downtown Topeka.
State employees evacuated a building late Tuesday morning after ‘suspicious mail’ was sent to the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office. A spokeswoman for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said their agency is currently investigating the incident.
Gov. Kelly released a statement Tuesday evening.
“Today, suspicious mail was received at the Secretary of State’s office. Law enforcement acted swiftly, clearing the building and ensuring nobody was harmed. While there is still much we don’t know, it seems to be yet another threat aimed at our state’s public servants. This political intimidation is absolutely unacceptable. No Kansan should ever feel unsafe because of their politics. Thank you to the KBI, KHP, and other law enforcement who are investigating this case and the letters sent this past summer.”
Governor Laura Kelly, D-Kansas
Memorial Hall in Topeka was evacuated according to an alert sent out by the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) on Tuesday.
At 11:50 a.m. on Nov. 14, the KHP distributed an alert that the building, located at 120 SW 10th Avenue, needed to be evacuated. The severity of the situation was not listed in the alert, but people inside the building were urged to leave immediately.
The building houses government offices associated with the Kansas Attorney General (AG) and the Kansas Secretary of State (SOS). KHP spokeswoman Candice Breshears said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is looking into the situation that prompted the evacuation order.
(Photo Courtesy/Rebekah Chung)
The Kansas Capitol Bureau spotted a ‘Hazmat’ emergency vehicle at the scene, along with several law enforcement officials and AMR.
KBI spokeswoman Melissa Underwood sent the following message in an email at 2:34 p.m. regarding the situation:
“The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is working with the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal, the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Department for Health and Environment after suspicious mail was received at the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State,” Underwood said. “Memorial Hall was evacuated out of an abundance of caution. The investigation is ongoing.”