NEW YORK _ Security was ramped up across New York City on Wednesday after four crude pipe bombs were mailed to the homes of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, the Washington office of Rep. Maxine Waters and CNN's New York newsroom.
President Donald Trump and others were quick to denounce the incidents as terrorism after three prominent Democrats and Trump's journalistic whipping boy CNN were targeted within 24 hours. The live device found at the CNN offices was addressed to ex-CIA Director John Brennan _ a frequent guest on the cable news channel and a vocal critic of Trump.
The CNN newsroom on Columbus Circle was evacuated after the NYPD Bomb Squad was called to investigate the "pipe bomb with wires sticking out of it," sources said. Authorities said an envelope containing an unidentified white power was stuffed inside the CNN package. ABC News reported a similar package intended for Waters, D-Calif., was intercepted Wednesday by Capitol Hill police.
The return address on some of the packages was the office of Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, head of the Democratic National Party during the last election. Another package landed in her office when the wrong address for ex-Attorney General Eric Holder was written on the plain manila shipping envelope along with her as the return address.
"There are a number of devices and a pattern," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference outside the Time Warner Building. "We wouldn't be surprised if additional devices are sent."
A report that another package went to Cuomo's Manhattan office was erroneous, with police saying the right-wing group the Proud Boys had apparently delivered a thumb drive to the location. Officials told the news conference that there was no specific threat against any other location in the city at this time, and no injuries were reported.
"This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear as Americans," Trump said. "We're extremely angry, upset, unhappy about what we witnessed this morning, and we will get to the bottom of it."
Trump, who routinely hurls insults at his political opponents while whipping up his political base, called this a time "to unify and come together."
Authorities immediately announced plans for an increased police presence on the subways and streets in response to the bombs. Cops across the city were told to expect extended shifts as a result of the letter bombs. And patrols were increased at city locations connected to the Clintons, Obamas and billionaire liberal donor George Soros _ who received a package with a bomb on Monday, officials said.
The NYPD, in a departmentwide missive, urged all officers "to be alert for suspicious activity and unattended packages or bags."
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called on politicians of both parties to stop with their attacks on the nation's media.
"To all public officials, of all partisan affiliations, don't encourage violence, hatred and attacks on the media," said de Blasio. "You can disagree ... but air your disagreements peacefully."
CNN President Jeff Zucker said that the Manhattan offices were evacuated "out of an abundance of caution." All of CNN's other offices worldwide have been checked and no other suspicious packages have been found.
The U.S. Secret Service reported that it intercepted mail bombs sent to the homes of the two ex-presidents. Cuomo said police checked on the Clinton residence in Chappaqua around 4:30 a.m. and found nothing was amiss.
Bill Clinton was reportedly at the family's suburban home at the time the package was identified at a Westchester County facility, and the package never reached the Clinton home. It was addressed to Hillary Clinton, according to police sources.
On Monday night, a pipe bomb was delivered to the mailbox of the Westchester County home belonging to philanthropist and left-wing benefactor Soros.
Police were also responding to a report of a suspicious package at the Open Society Foundation in Midtown Manhattan, which is connected to Soros.
"The NYPD is actively working with its federal partners in active investigations regarding explosive devices sent to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, businessman George Soros and CNN in Columbus Circle," an NYPD source said Wednesday.
The NYPD is a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The explosive sent to the Clintons' home in Chappaqua was similar to the one found at Soros' home, federal sources said.
On Tuesday night, the Secret Service recovered a "suspicious package" addressed to Hillary Clinton. The explosive was inside a small shipping envelope with postage and was made to appear like a USPS package _ much like the one that arrived at Soros' home a day earlier, the source said.
On Wednesday morning, an explosive package was intercepted at the Washington, D.C., home of the Obamas. It was not immediately disclosed if the package was similar to the ones sent to Soros and Clinton.
"The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such," the U.S. Secret Service said in a statement Wednesday. "The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them."
An investigation into who sent the packages was underway.
"We are aware of a suspicious package found in the vicinity of the Clinton residence in Chappaqua, NY, and our JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) has engaged with our federal, state and local partners to investigate," the FBI said on Twitter.
