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Police confirm ‘destructive’ item found at Jacksonville International Airport

Police block the road to the Jacksonville International Airport terminal as a shuttle used to move people out of the airport drives by Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bruce Lipsky, The Florida Times-Union/AP Photo

TORONTO – One of two suspicious packages that prompted the evacuation of Jackson International Airport contained a ‘destructive’ device, authorities have confirmed.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office spokesman Shannon Hartley told a news conference Tuesday night that one of the packages found at the airport had a ‘destructive’ component that had to to be taken offsite. He said the device was later “rendered safe.”

Jackson International Airport announced it had reopened at 11:15 p.m., several hours after hundreds of people were forced to evacuate.

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Earlier, airport spokesman Michael Stewart could not confirm the contents of the package, nor reports that authorities had anyone in custody, the Florida Times-Union reports.

The airport first issued news of the evacuation via its official Twitter feed at 6:22 p.m. EDT Tuesday evening.

According to the Times-Union, one package was located within the terminal, the other in a parking garage.

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With files from The Canadian Press and The Florida Times-Union

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