Posted on 02/29/2008 3:14:39 AM PST by maquiladora
LAS VEGAS (AP) Preliminary tests indicate that a package found at a motel contained the toxin ricin, and seven people have been taken to hospitals, authorities said.
Police were called to the Extended Stay America Motel on Thursday and retrieved a package from the motel manager that was determined to be a chemical or controlled substance, Officer Ramone Denby said.
Two preliminary tests indicate it contained ricin, he said. Results from further tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a second local lab are expected Friday, police said.
Homeland Security officials joined local police in the investigation. Officials from the FBI, Las Vegas Health District, a hazardous materials team and the National Guard were also at the scene.
Officers cordoned off the area and isolated the room where the substance was found.
Three motel employees and another person were quarantined and decontaminated at the site, then taken to hospitals for further testing, Denby said. All appeared to be in good condition, he said. Three police officers who had been exposed were also taken to hospitals.
It takes between six and eight hours for someone exposed to ricin to show signs of contamination, Denby said.
A woman who answered the phone at the motel declined comment.
Ricin is made from the waste left over from processing castor beans, and can be extremely lethal. As little as 500 micrograms, or about the size of the head of a pin, can kill a human, according to the CDC.
Hey don’t rush them. It probably took awhile to come up with the medication theory. Give them time, I’m sure they are working as fast as they can on a harmless , Smith or Jones fellow theory.
Good grief....they should have removed the man from the plane!! Prayers up for you and your family.
I was at the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor) Show a few weeks ago. My husband and I came home both with really bad bronchial infections. It took a doctor’s visit and antibiotics to clear it up.
Can’t remember when I’ve been so sick, and it lasted two weeks. My doctor said the flu test was negative, it was a bronchial infection. Hubby came down with it the day before we left, and me the following day.
The SHOT Show is a trade show for manufacturers of every kind of gun, accessory, for police, military, and hunters.
It would have been a REALLY bad time for a terrorist to pull something LOL.
Three hotel employees and a fourth person who came to the room to retrieve some items were taken to the hospital as a precaution, Officer Ramon Dendy told CNN.
Things that make you go hmmmmm.....
I wonder what that person's name is...
Question, were they selling weapons at this SHOT Show or was it just for informational purposes?
But don’t you have to laugh at the “medical research” story? What researcher would conduct tests in a motel room? Or carry around research material so carelessly that they left a substantial amount of it in said motel room?
Well, it could be a name like Jones or Thomas—these days we have a lot of deluded kids volunteering for whatever they can do to help jihad.
Weird is that I had a dream about getting an envelope full of powder not one hour ago...
Timing?
True.
Yes/...
You’re right. My point is, Ricin in the FORM IT WAS FOUND has NO MEDICAL use. If you dig a bit deeper you will discover this.
The “form” in which it was found was a powder form, and found with beans...
that’s NOT a controlled chemical environment (in a vial in a hotel room) and people aren’t going to have it as a “medication”.
so, my point remains, the ricin found as it was HAS NO USE OTHER THAN TO KILL.
This was a deliberate act by some one to use something to kill people
Owners of sporting goods stores, purchasers for police depts, military, etc., attend to purchase/order the latest products. This show is where manufacturers showcase the latest products/technology.
Yeah. We'll keep them in out thoughts and prayers.
Cynical is ok. Cynical is the new black, lol. (As in fashion)
I used to think that “the best and the brightest” were actually competent and knew what they were doing. After 911, I revised my thinking.
Sorry, I didn’t read the entire clip, but I do know about ricin. Finding and disposing of the toxin is not particularly hazardous if one wears gloves and does not aerosolize the material. Also, it does not penetrate skin.
What happens in Vegas...
The bronchial condition was likely similar to one going around this area. I had it for almost 2 weeks, too, and frankly, I still don’t breathe as well as I did before I had it. It’s been over a month ago!
Let’s hope the STAYS in Vegas applies here.
Ok, it sounds interesting. I think you can understand my question from this standpoint - would it be something a potential bad guy would be interested in or could use as an opportunity?
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