A suspicious package sent to Time Warner Center, which houses the headquarters of CNN, contained a pipe bomb and was addressed to former CNN director John Brennan.
The package was labeled as addressed to “John Brennan,” according to a picture shared by the news agency.
The name for the return address was labeled as Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from Florida, but officials said she’s not suspected in the case.
This is a photograph of the suspicious package sent to the CNN building in New York City earlier this morning. Police say it appeared to be a live explosive device. https://t.co/aG9JsTfwhx pic.twitter.com/tcICHJErda
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 24, 2018
Besides being the former CIA director, Brennan is an MSNBC and NBC contributor. It’s unclear why the package was sent to CNN, although Brennan has appeared on the network as a commentator.
Shimon Prokupecz, a CNN reporter, said on air that a metal detector inside the center detected the pipe bomb, reported The Wrap.
“What raised the alarm bell was when they X-rayed the package they found what looked like metal material, perhaps a pipe bomb. We’ve talked about other pipe bombs or bombs inside of metal construction that’s been delivered at other locations,” said Prokupecz.
“Then also we’re being told there were wires. What appeared to be wires inside this package.”
At a briefing held near the center, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The police department’s top counterterrorism official, John Miller, said the substance was being tested to see if it is dangerous. Besides a live explosive described as a pipe bomb, the package contained an envelope containing white powder, officials said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at the briefing that “we will not allow these terrorist thugs to change the way we live our lives.”
Cuomo said that another suspicious package was sent to his office in the city.
We are New Yorkers. We are smart. We are tough. We are resilient and we will not allow these terrorists to change the way we lead our lives. https://t.co/fA2cmtFfGb
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) October 24, 2018
A rash of other packages was intercepted or discovered on Oct. 24, including packages addressed to former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Miller said at the news conference that officials believe the person who sent the package to CNN also sent the packages to Clinton, Obama, and billionaire George Soros.
Top Democrat and Republican officials condemned the packages, including President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
