Campbell County courthouse evacuated, closed after hazardous material scare

GILLETTE (WNE) — Discovery of a substance that led to the evacuation and closure of the Campbell County Courthouse late Tuesday morning has been deemed non-hazardous.

The courthouse, which closed after 10 people were potentially exposed to the substance, was expected to return to normal business hours Wednesday.

One person directly exposed to the substance was taken to Campbell County Memorial Hospital, treated and released, said Leslie Perkins, Campbell County spokesperson, in a news release.

The others who may have been exposed were quarantined until the substance was identified by the Wyoming National Guard Civil Support Team at about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday.

The incident was reported at about 11 a.m. and dispatch scanner audio from the time of the hazmat report mentioned anthrax as the possible substance.

Perkins confirmed Tuesday night that the substance was described as potentially anthrax on the dispatch scanner, but testing confirmed the substance was not anthrax.

County Emergency Management Coordinator David King said Tuesday afternoon that the incident was being investigated as a potential terroristic threat.

Federal agencies including the postal inspectors in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Casper have been contacted as well as the FBI field office in Casper, Perkins said.

Gillette police have the active lead on the investigation as of Tuesday night, Perkins said.

The courthouse was evacuated by about 11:10 a.m. and personnel with the Campbell County Fire Department, Gillette Police Department, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, EMS and Public Health all responded to the courthouse.

The state national guard team drove from Cheyenne to Gillette to identify the substance, contributing to the more than six hours from the time the incident was reported to the time the substance was deemed non-hazardous.

The remaining substance will be sent to the Wyoming Department of Health lab for identification, according to the news release.

This story was published on April 30, 2024.