By Ariana Zaman
QUEENS, N.Y. — An unidentified white powder discovered inside the Queens County Criminal Courthouse on 2nd April Thursday evening set off a full emergency response, with hazmat crews, the NYPD, and the FDNY all descending on the building at 125-01 Queens Boulevard — located between Hoover Avenue and 82nd Avenue — as four people reported feeling ill and two were rushed to the hospital.
The FDNY received the emergency call just before 5:00 p.m. and responded to the scene within minutes. Authorities confirmed that a 911 call had come in at approximately 4:54 p.m., with callers reporting the discovery of a suspicious substance and saying people inside the building were already beginning to feel unwell.
Four civilians sustained what officials described as minor injuries. Two of them were transported to Queens General Hospital for medical treatment, while the remaining two declined emergency care and refused to be taken to a hospital. The conditions of the two who were hospitalized have not been made public by the authorities.
“People were feeling ill. Four individuals reported injuries within the
building.”
A hazmat team was deployed to conduct a thorough sweep of the premises. The team worked through the evening before concluding its investigation several hours after arriving — without publicly identifying what the substance was. Despite the scare, the courthouse closed at its normal time of approximately 6:20 p.m., and officials have not indicated that the building’s operations were permanently disrupted.
As of late Thursday night, the identity of the white powder remains unknown. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident, and authorities have not ruled out any possibilities. No further information has been released regarding either the substance or the condition of those who were taken to Queens General.
The incident is the latest in a string of white-powder scares at New York City courthouses in recent months. A similar episode unfolded at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse at 100 Centre Street last year, where a white substance found in a mailed envelope led to a hazmat response and the potential exposure of several court staff members.
