GROVELAND, Fla. – Officials with Lake County Schools said an envelope containing a threatening message and a white, powdery substance that is believed to be harmless was delivered to Groveland Elementary School late Thursday afternoon.
The incident was immediately reported to authorities, school officials said. The Groveland Police Department; fire departments from Groveland, Minneola and Lake County; and the Lake County hazmat team responded.
Recommended Videos
The immediate area was quarantined. School officials said three Groveland police officers and three school employees were detained until the substance could be tested.
Groveland police Chief Shawn Ramsey said preliminary tests came back negative for any biological threat, according to Lake County Schools.
School officials said the envelope and substance will be forwarded to federal authorities, who will take over the investigation.
Most students had already left for the day when the incident was reported, but a few students remained in an after-school program held in a separate building waiting for parents to arrive, school officials said. The students were not exposed to the envelope.
The message in the envelope was unsigned, school officials said, adding that no suspect was identified.