Apartment In HazMat Investigation Will Be Guarded By Cops Tonight

MINNEAPOLIS — Residents of the Dinkytown apartment building involved in a possible HazMat incident Tuesday afternoon were allowed to return to their residences around 9 p.m.

Minneapolis fire crews began evacuating the Marshall building and the surrounding area in Dinkytown following an "unconfirmed report of ricin" earlier today.

As was originally suspected, the other areas of the apartment building were not impacted by the material reported, authorities said.

The apartment in the original incident has been secured and is being guarded by the Minneapolis Police Department overnight.

On Tuesday at 4 p.m. Minneapolis police and fire responded to the report of a medical situation possibly caused by a hazardous material in an apartment on the 500 block of 14th Avenue SE. First responders were notified that the victim had been transported to an area hospital by private means and was not at the scene.

"In an abundance of caution," emergency personnel began an evacuation of the building, according to authorities. The person who was at the hospital gave information as to the chemicals involved and the location of the substance.

A HazMat team entered the apartment and neutralized the area, secured the substance and transported it to the Minnesota Health Laboratory where the substance will be formally identified.

FBI HazMat personnel arrived on scene and, in consultation with Minneapolis first responders, found that the area of possible contamination is likely limited to the one apartment.

An investigation will continue into the evening as will the clean-up, according to a news release.