Two suspicious packages found in Delaware

Some tense moments Friday, after two separate suspicious packages were discovered in two different locations in downtown Wilmington.

The first incident was reported around 8:30 this morning after an ING Direct employee seemed to become ill after coming in contact with a package at the post office on Delaware Avenue. Wilmington Police say he was experiencing unknown symptoms of illness after arriving at the office and was taken to Christiana Hospital for treatment and evaluation.

After shutting down nearby roads and evacuating the post office, investigators from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control determined the package was not a threat and was simply “some type of food product.”

They say the worker’s illness is unrelated to his contact with the package.

Almost two hours later, less than a mile away, police were called to the MetLife building at 600 N. King St. regarding a second suspicious package received in the mail room. Officers say the origin and shape of the package concerned the mail handler, who then X-rayed the item and observed images consistent with an explosive device.   

After securing the area and evacuating the buildling, WPD’s Explosive Ordinance Device officers examined the package and determined it was not a threat or a bomb, rather the contents made up some type of jewelry making kit.

Police say the second package appears to be unrelated to the earlier incident.