2nd Suspicious Letter Sent To Rep. Brad Schneider's Office

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider's Lincolnshire office received a second suspicious letter Wednesday, less than a week after a threatening letter prompted a hazardous materials response at the same location.

Police and fire crews responded around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to Schneider's district office at 111 Barclay Boulevard after staff discovered the suspicious mail, according to Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

Schneider, a Democrat who represents Illinois' 10th Congressional District, said his office was alerted to the latest mailing by another congressional office that had already identified similar mail.

"When our team saw a similar letter in our mailbox, we immediately closed the mailbox and alerted Lincolnshire Police and the U.S. Capitol Police," Schneider said in a statement.

Lincolnshire police and fire crews safely removed the letter, and authorities subsequently cleared the office, Schneider said.

Hazardous materials technicians from neighboring fire departments assisted with the response. Testing determined the letter did not contain harmful substances, according to Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

The incident came five days after Schneider's office received a threatening letter on Oct. 16. That letter was also examined by a hazardous materials team and determined to be nonhazardous.

• Threatening Letter Prompts Hazmat Response At Schneider’s Office

Schneider thanked local emergency responders and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

"I am always grateful for the extraordinary commitment of our local police and fire departments to the safety of my team and our community," Schneider said. "I know the FBI is already investigating last week's letter, and I am confident they will do the same for the most recent incident."

Schneider's office was among several congressional offices in the Chicago area that received suspicious mail Wednesday.

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky's office in Skokie and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley's office in Chicago also received suspicious letters for the second time in less than a week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Schakowsky's staff notified authorities after identifying an unusual envelope. The FBI and hazardous materials personnel responded, and all staff members were reported safe. Quigley's Chicago office also alerted police after receiving another suspicious package Wednesday.

• 2nd Suspicious Package Sent To Quigley's Chicago Office In A Week
• 2nd Suspicious Envelope In A Week Sent To Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Skokie Office

The letters received by Schneider's office may be connected to a nationwide series of suspicious mailings targeting congressional offices and election officials ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News on Oct. 15 that more than 100 letters, some apparently containing white powder, were believed to be circulating through the U.S. mail system. A WIRED investigation found election offices in at least 32 states had been targeted, while Axios reported more than three dozen members of Congress had also been targeted.

The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the mailings. Preliminary testing has not identified hazardous substances in the letters examined, according to Axios, and authorities have not publicly confirmed whether all the incidents are connected.