CNN NYC Building Evacuated After Bomb Device Intercepted In Mailroom; Developments Follow Packages Directed To Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama

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Refresh for updates CNNs Time Warner Center bureau in New York City has been evacuated after the discovery in the mailroom of a bomb-like device.

Earlier reports had a similar device intercepted at the White House, but those reports are now under serious question. Whether a device intended for the White House was intercepted off site is unclear at this moment.

CNNs Manhattan bureau has been evacuated, and the mid-town Columbus Circle block is under heavy police presence. Other buildings in the vicinity are also being evacuated, reportedly.

The device at CNN was discovered in the networks mailroom. CNN anchors Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow were among the CNN staffers ordered to leave the building; the two attempted to report on the situation outside the building, initially using Harlows iPhone, though the sound, at least initially, was inaudible at times.

An NYPD bomb squad unit and another quick response group from the NYPD was on scene in Columbus Circle.

The incident at CNN follows the interception earlier today and last night of suspicious packages resembling homemade bombs addressed to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the Secret Service confirmed earlier.

In a White House statement, press secretary Sarah Sanders said:

“We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures. These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies are investigating and will take all appropriate action to protect anyone threatened by these cowards.”

The Clinton-Obama packages are similar to a device sent to billionaire George Soros earlier this week, and are being investigated as such.

The device intended for the former First Lady was addressed to the Chappaqua, N.Y. home she shares with former president Bill Clinton. The Secret Service intercepted the package last night.

In a statement to the press, the Secret Service earlier confirmed it had intercepted “two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees.” (The Clinton-addressed package was intercepted on the night of Oct. 23; the package intended for Obama was intercepted in Washington, D.C. early this morning).

The Secret Service statement continues: “The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such. The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them.”

Both the Secret Service and the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating the incidents, with the Secret Service saying the investigation will “leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible.”

A statement made by Chappaquas New Castle Police Department indicated that the local enforcement officials “assisted the FBI, Secret Service and the West Chester Police with the investigation of a suspicious package.”

MSNBC quoted a Secret Service source as saying that at no time were Clinton or Obama in danger from the packages, which, as is standard practice with all mail to protectees, were intercepted at an offsite facility by the Secret Service. The network said that the two latest devices were similar to the pipe bomb sent to Soros, but could confirm only that the Soros device was in working order.

This story is developing…

Original Article