Federal investigators on Wednesday were trying to track down the suspect or suspects who sent pipe bombs to CNN, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, other high profile Democrats.
The FBI said the devices were mailed in similar looking packages that contained “potentially destructive devices,” Reuters reported.
The Secret Service intercepted the packages sent to President and Mrs. Obama’s home in Washington, and the Chappaqua, New York residence of the Clintons.
As police carefully extracted a suspicious package from Time Warner Center — home of CNN's New York offices — they used a "total containment vessel" to haul the device away https://t.co/VqzbdQgV3R
— CNN (@CNN) October 24, 2018
A similar device arrived at the New York estate of billionaire Democratic donor George Soros this week. The FBI also responded to a report of a suspicious package at a Florida office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The package sent to CNN contained a live explosive and an envelope containing white powder, The Associated Press reported. The cable news network’s offices at the Time Warner building in New York City were evacuated as a result.
“So far the devices have been what appeared to be pipe bombs,” John Miller, the New York police deputy commissioner for intelligence and counter-terrorism, told reporters.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA Director John Brennan and Democratic Congresswoman Maxine were also targeted.
.@CBSNews has obtained a photo showing the explosive device sent to former CIA Director John Brennan at the CNN bureau in New York. The package has Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Florida office as the return address. https://t.co/zs9QDEaDqd pic.twitter.com/X3WNrE0I21
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) October 24, 2018
Officials said they were reviewing video footage as part of their investigation. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation.
“We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton,
Secretary Clinton, and other public figures,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement from Trump.
Four suspicious envelopes were also mailed to the Los Angeles Times headquarters Wednesday in El Segundo, Calif. outside Los Angeles, the paper reported on its website.
A mailroom employee noticed the envelopes looked unusual. However, there was no threat of a bomb inside the envelopes, and the building was not evacuated.
