'AN ACT OF TERROR' — Pipe bombs sent to 6 or more targets: CNN, Obamas, Clintons, Soros, Cuomo, Holder
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY, AND WILL BE UPDATED. Authorities in New York are holding a press conference on what they say are a series of 6, potentially 7 pipe bombs sent to political figures around New York, and in other parts of the United States.
Targets include former first families the Obamas and the Clintons, NY governor Andrew Cuomo, philanthropist George Soros, the headquarters of CNN in New York, and former Attorney General Eric Holder. Another package is now said to have been intercepted at a U.S. Congress mail facility, which is not located on-site at the offices of congresspersons.
The bomb sent to Holder ended up being sent to the return address of Florida Democratic congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, in Florida. There was no package addressed to her, but multiple packages had her address as the return address.
The CNN package got all the way into the mailroom.
During the live TV briefing, New York governor Andrew Cuomo revealed that his office in Manhattan also received an explosive device.
NYPD said the device sent to CNN was "a live explosive device," with the capacity to kill.
An ATF official said during the press conference that the device sent to CNN was a pipe bomb.
Feds wouldn't disclose during the press conferences exactly what was in the package, but said 'it was consistent with the other packages.'
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities appear to be saying that various devices sent to the Clintons in New York, the Obamas at one of their addresses, George Soros in New York, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz were similar in nature and capacity.
Also envelopes containing white powder.
Mayor Bill de Blasio: "I want to make clear the people of New York will not be intimidated, we are going to go about our lives undeterred."
No specific threats to other areas of the city at this time, the mayor says, but media locations around the city will get extra police presence.
The same return address was used for the Clinton and Obama suspicious packages, law enforcement says https://t.co/QB7fqBqcqN
- CNN International (@cnni) October 24, 2018
Throw the names of those reportedly targeted-Soros, Obama, Clinton, CNN, Holder, Wasserman Schultz-onto a chalkboard, attach some strings between their names, and oh baby you've got a TV segment-oh, wait, right.
- "Andrew Kirell" is my Halloween costume (@AndrewKirell) October 24, 2018
Hillary Clinton praises the Secret Service for their response to a bomb threat on her residence in Westchester County, New York, adding that we live in a "troubling time... of deep divisions." https://t.co/4R1BQuBNPf pic.twitter.com/hwiI31pbzi
- CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) October 24, 2018
This photo obtained by @ABC and confirmed by two law enforcement sources shows the device recovered from @CNN by the NYPD bomb squad. pic.twitter.com/HFzTMSoJXG
- Gio Benitez (@GioBenitez) October 24, 2018
George Soros's son, on what changed in 2016: "A genie was let out of the bottle, which may take generations to put back in, and it wasn't confined to the United States." https://t.co/mzzOU8rvHy
- David Gura (@davidgura) October 24, 2018
INTERESTING: Cuomo confirmed a device sent to his office. Indicative that the bomber is likely resident in NY State. Out of staters don't think about this governor at the same level as HRC or Obama. The angriest people are upstaters still furious over the NY SAFE gun control act.
- Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) October 24, 2018
False alarm in San Diego...but as many as other seven suspicious packages found elsewhere around US: https://t.co/O4tXIfILjG
- Steve Herman (@W7VOA) October 24, 2018