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Firearms, Anarchist Book Found With Ricin

Man in critical condition; others test negative for deadly poison
By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 1, 2008 11:17 AM CST
Firearms, Anarchist Book Found With Ricin
Castor seeds can be used to make ricin, and Las Vegas Police said Friday, Feb. 29, 2008 they found a substance that tests indicate is the deadly toxin ricin at a motel where a man had been living before he was hospitalized in critical condition earlier this month. There was no indication of any link...   (Associated Press)

The authorities who discovered ricin in a Las Vegas hotel room also recovered firearms and an “anarchist-type textbook” with an earmarked entry about the lethal toxin, CNN reports. The 57-year-old man whose room contained the poison remains hospitalized in critical condition and unable to speak with investigators, but seven others checked as a precaution tested negative.

“We feel extremely positive we have all the ricin involved,” said Las Vegas’ police captain, “and there is no terrorist threat.” The infected man summoned authorities on Feb. 14, complaining of breathing difficulty, but police weren’t aware of the toxin until Thursday, when a relative clearing out his room notified hotel management. Ricin isn’t illegal to own and has medicinal uses, CNN notes. (More ricin stories.)

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