ATLANTA — The Richard B. Russell Federal Building was evacuated Monday morning due to a suspicious package.
The incident occurred at 75 Spring St.
Channel 2's Sophia Choi got there about 10:30 a.m. and found people out in the parking lot.
“They told me there was a bomb scare and we couldn't go into the building at all, and they had no ETA of when we could get back in,” employee Renaye Waller said.
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Investigators tell Choi that a marshal on routine patrol found a backpack near a trash can near an employee entrance about 9:30 a.m.
After finding the backpack, marshals decided to evacuate the entire building as a precaution after explosions in New York and New Jersey over the weekend.
Marshals said the evacuation of the building was the first in nearly 20 years.
Employees were evacuated for about two hours before the all-clear was given.
Channel 2’s Wendy Corona spoke with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who said he had no issue with the precautionary evacuation.
“I say all the time that I’d rather somebody laugh at me for believing we went overboard for trying to keep folks safe than to be wrong and make an incorrect judgment,” he said.
Reed echoed the idea that the bombings in New York and New Jersey has made the city increase its preparedness.
“We have doubled the size of our SWAT unit, for example. We have increased our long-rifle capability. We are running significant police overtime right now. We are at a little less than 1,900 officers and growing that force to get back to 2,000-officer level,” Reed said.
Reed said he wants Atlanta to be best-equipped to handle a high-level emergency.
Cox Media Group
