It was someone’s precious memento that caused such a commotion on Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon.
A suspicious package found about 12:30 p.m. at the Longworth House Office Building was later brought to Quantico Marine Corps Base, where it was carefully opened.
The package was an envelope addressed to Rep. Tom Walz of Minnesota, and it contained a metal box with some type of a medal inside of it, said FBI spokeswoman Katherine Schweit.
Officials in Washington initially were concerned because they found some sort of chemical stain on the outside of the envelope, said Capt. Curtis Smith, with Quantico Marine Corps Base.
Those stains were swabbed and test results came back inconclusive.
So the envelope was loaded into what Smith called a Total Containment Vessel, or an explosive-proof container, and was taken to the Marine Corps base.
There, on a demolition range, a water cannon was used to open the package and to reveal its contents, said Smith.
Though no explosives were used, the cannon is said to open a package in a similar, explosive fashion.
Once Quantico officials saw there was no danger, they disposed of the package. The day-long ordeal was over about 8 p.m.
Schweit said the sender of the package has been identified but their name would not be released due to privacy concerns.
She also said the FBI serves as the lead agency, in a sea of about 30 others in the Washington area, when it comes to investigating reports of suspicious packages and other similar cases on federal ground.
“You just never know when it comes to an incident like this one, that’s why we are charged to investigate because it may be a case of terrorism, either domestic or international,” said Schweit.
The FBI has concluded their investigation and Schweit did not know if any charges would be filed.
Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.
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