WPIX Newsroom Shut Down After Anthrax Hoax

The WPIX newsroom in New York City was locked down yesterday evening after a staffer opened a threatening letter that contained white powder.

The New York Daily News reports that the incident happened around 3 p.m., just two hours before the the CW-affiliate’s first evening newscast. Upon arriving at the newsroom, police immediately shut it down and started the process of decontaminating the staffer who opened the letter by a Hazmat team.

News Director Bill Carey told the Daily News that the 5 p.m. newscast was produced in a certain way due to the uncertainty of the newsroom situation, with reporter Kristen Cole doing an outside live shot at the top of the show.

Police cleared the newsroom of any threat around 4:45 p.m., and anchor Jodi Applegate anchored as planned from the studio. “The newscast was uneventful,” Carey said.

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