Marines become ill after suspicious letter arrives at Virginia military base

A person in a hazmat suit.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Nearly a dozen people became sick after a letter containing an unknown substance was opened at a northern Virginia military base on Tuesday afternoon, with three having to go to a local hospital after complaining of sore throats and burning sensations on their skin.

The incident took place at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall near Arlington, and once people began to say they felt sick, the building was evacuated, the Marine Corps announced on Twitter. Area hazmat teams and FBI investigators are on the scene.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.