On a recent Friday, a section of an Atlanta courthouse was evacuated after a suspicious package containing white powder was delivered to the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. An immediate response from hazardous materials teams determined within half an hour that the substance was either starch or salt and posed no threat, according to Ronald Slatton, Battalion Chief of Atlanta Fire Rescue. Subsequently, the courthouse was reopened to the public.
During the incident, four individuals reported experiencing headaches and were taken to a hospital as a precaution. As a result, the third floor of the expansive Fulton County courthouse complex was vacated, clarified Slatton.
Slatton mentioned that details regarding the letter’s intended recipient were unknown, with further investigation into the motive being left to law enforcement agencies. When asked about further inquiry into the possibility of a crime, Officer Aaron Fix of the Atlanta Police Department directed inquiries back to Atlanta Fire Rescue. Meanwhile, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, responsible for maintaining courthouse security, is not currently investigating the matter, spokesperson Natalie Ammons revealed.
In a statement issued by the District Attorney’s office via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, gratitude was expressed towards Atlanta and Fulton County agencies for their rapid and efficient response to ensure the safety of courthouse personnel and visitors.
Fani Willis, a Democrat elected to her position, gained notable attention in August 2023 when she secured indictments against then-President Donald Trump and 18 others. The charges, filed under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, alleged an expansive plot to unlawfully challenge Trump’s narrow defeat in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia against Democrat Joe Biden.
However, after four individuals pleaded guilty, the situation took a turn when a state appeals court removed Willis from the case in December, citing concerns over potential impropriety linked to a personal relationship. The court highlighted her connection with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who led the case under her appointment. Currently, Willis seeks to appeal this decision before the Georgia Supreme Court, aiming to overturn her disqualification from this high-profile case.