A suspicious package found inside CNN's mailroom in New York forced the evacuation of its headquarters on Wednesday, coming just hours after the Secret Service reported finding packages sent to former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
CNN anchors Poppy Harlow and Jim Scuitto reported outside CNN's New York bureau, after they were evacuated from the Time Warner Center due to a suspicious package.
Live broadcast was also interrupted as the alarm sounded throughout the building.
The NYPD Bomb Squad outside the CNN building as officers secure the broadcaster's office, following the discovery of a possible bomb. Source: AP
Throughout the morning there were also reports of packages sent to other top Democrats. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference outside of the CNN headquarters that a device was also sent to his Manhattan office, but an NYPD spokesperson later confirmed that it was not a bomb.
There were reports of suspicious devices sent to buildings where Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) has an office. Authorities were also examining a package intercepted at a congressional mail facility that was addressed to Rep Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), NBC News reported.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the packages were sent by one or more individuals.
The package at the CNN headquarters "appeared to be a live explosive" and contained wires and pipe, James O'Neill, the NYPD commissioner, said at the press conference. The package contained an envelope containing white powder, he said.
The package was removed from the building by authorities and was being taken to a screening facility. They also reported that it was addressed to John Brennan, the former CIA director, who is a contributor to MSNBC, not CNN. CNN said Wasserman Schultz's name was listed as the return address on the package sent to its office, as well as to others.
Reporters for CNN said there were no injuries and the move was precautionary.
After its offices were evacuated, CNN stayed on air, with Rene Marsh taking over anchor duties from Washington before handing it off to Wolf Blitzer. The New York anchors who were on the air at the time, Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto, evacuated as well, and then reported from a nearby street corner.
The CNN's New York office was evacuated after the discovery. Source: AP
CNN isn't the only media company with offices in the building. WarnerMedia, the parent company of Warner Bros. and HBO, has employees at Time Warner Center, as does Turner Networks. CNN chief Jeff Zucker wrote in a memo to staff, "I can confirm that we have checked all of our bureaus worldwide, and have found no other devices have been found."
"We are working with authorities to determine the severity of the situation," Zucker said. "The NYPD is on scene, and we [are] working closely with them to take every precaution. We are also checking all bureaus around the world, out of a complete abundance of caution." He said they were putting up magnetometers at the entrance to the CNN building in Atlanta, and that CBS News reached out and offered assistance.
At the press conference, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said authorities were stepping up police presence at media locations in New York.
People walk outside CNN Center, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, in Atlanta. Source: AP
But he also decried what he described as an "act of terror attempting to undermine our free press."
"We cannot let the acts of a few change who we are," De Blasio said.
A suspicious package, which appeared to be an explosive device, was found earlier this week outside the home of George Soros earlier this week. Soros is a major Democratic donor. The Secret Service said reports of a suspicious package sent to the White House are incorrect.
CNN reported that the package sent to the building where Wasserman Schultz has offices was addressed to Eric Holder, the former attorney general, but never was sent to him, and instead was sent to Wasserman Schultz because her name was listed as the return address.
The San Diego Union-Tribune was also briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a stack of suspicious packages was spotted in the building, the paper reported. The newspaper shares a building with the offices of Sen. Kamala Harris and other businesses. The San Diego Police Department said on Twitter that 6th Avenue was closed between A and B streets. Police later examined the packages and determined that they were everyday items.
