MINNEAPOLIS _ The FBI on Wednesday said a University of Minnesota student hospitalized after hazardous material was found in her apartment appeared to be the biological toxin ricin, and she may have been intentionally handling it.
The FBI took over the investigation in a case that caused hundreds of students to evacuate the apartment building and shut down nearby stores in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood Tuesday after the discovery was reported.
A University of Minnesota student had come into contact with the material, but "not in a random fashion; meaning she may have been intentionally handling the material," according to a statement released by the FBI.
"Given this early information and the ongoing investigation, we do not believe the general public is at risk at this time given the likelihood the material was confined to the single apartment in question and that it was likely not being used for any criminal activity," according to the statement.
A preliminary test of the substance found in the apartment, "indicated the presumptive potential presence of ricin," according to the FBI.
Ricin is a poisonous biological toxin found naturally in castor beans. The Centers for Disease Control calls Ricin one of the most toxic biological agents known. Because it's considered a weapon of mass destruction, the FBI took over the investigation from the Minneapolis Police Department on Wednesday morning.
The woman took herself to the hospital and was expected to be OK, according to Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder. An FBI spokesman declined to answer any questions about why the woman would have been handling the suspected ricin.
After the building was evacuated, dozens of students stood aimlessly behind yellow police tape or lounged on the grass across the street as they awaited word that they could get back into their apartments.
Residents were allowed to return to their building five hours after evacuations began. A guard was stationed at the affected apartment overnight.
A federal hazardous evidence recovery team was working with the Minnesota National Guard at the apartment as of Wednesday, according to the FBI.
Once the material is collected, it will be sent to an FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for further testing to determine if it was ricin.
