Explosive devices were sent to both Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama, the Secret Service said Wednesday.
According to the Secret Service, one package was addressed to Clinton in Westchester County. Earlier this morning, officers found a second package addressed to Obama’s Washington, D.C. address. Neither received the packages or were “at risk of receiving them,” the Secret Service statement read.
The devices were found Wednesday morning by a technician who screens mail sent to Bill and Hillary Clinton’s New York home, similar to the device sent to former President Obama’s office, The New York Times reported.
A source told the paper that both devices are similar to the pipe bomb sent to billionaire George Soros’ home on Monday, which investigators say was likely hand-delivered.
As the Times reports, it wasn’t immediately clear where the devices sent to either the Clintons or Obama were found.
Per the Times:
Mr. Soros’s home is also in a suburb north of New York City. That device was constructed from a length of pipe about six inches long filled with explosive powder, and it was “proactively detonated” by bomb squad technicians, according to one of the officials, all of whom were briefed on the investigation.
The motive of the would-be Soros bomber or bombers remained unclear, one of the officials said, adding that there had not yet been any claim of responsibility.
The Secret Service and the FBI are investigating, according to NY1.
Update 1, 10:28 a.m. ET: CNN is reporting that a suspicious package was also sent to the White House.
Update 2, 10:39 a.m. ET: The Time Warner Center offices of CNN’s New York City bureau have also been abruptly evacuated. According to anchor Poppy Harlow, the offices received a “potential explosive device.”
Update 3, 11:00 AM ET: Both Reuters and Fox News—citing the Secret Service—claim that no suspicious packages were sent to the White House, contradicting earlier reports. The White House has released a statement, per the Washington Post:
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 actions to protect anyone threatened by these cowards.”
CNN president Jeff Zucker sent the following note to staff:
Update 4, 11:30 a.m.: Despite their abrupt on-air evacuation, CNN has continued to broadcast throughout the morning, reporting on their own evacuation and the suspicious package the network received.
Update 5, 11:37 a.m.: There are multiple reports that a constituent office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Sunrise, FL, has been evacuated due to a “possible suspicious package.” Wasserman Schultz is the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.
Update 6, 12:13 p.m: There are multiple reports that the area around the San Diego Union-Tribune has also been evacuated, with police investigating reports of a suspicious package.
Update 7, 12:50 p.m.: According to CNN, the suspicious package found at Rep. Wasserman Schultz’s office had been intended for former Attorney General Eric Holder. However, Holder’s address had reportedly been incorrectly listed, and the package was instead sent to Schultz, whose office had been listed as the return address.
Additionally, the evacuated Union Tribune offices were in the same building as an office belonging to California Sen. Kamala Harris.
Update 8, 1:15 p.m.: Speaking with reporters on Wednesday afternoon, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed that his office has also received a suspicious package, which he claimed was now “being handled.”
Update 9, 1:57 p.m.: ABC news reports that another suspicious package, this one intended for Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, has been intercepted by Capitol Police.
Update 10, 4:46 p.m.: In a statement released late Wednesday afternoon, the FBI confirmed that similar packages—all mailed in manila envelopes with a bubble wrap interior— were addressed to Soros, Hillary Clinton, Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan, now a contributor at CNN, and Holder. The agency said it’s also possible that packages were mailed to other locations and urged vigilance about “any suspicious or unknown packages.”
The package intended for Holder did not reach its intended destination and was instead rerouted to the typewritten return address “from: DEBBIE WASSERMAN SHULTZ” [sic] which was found on each package, according to the FBI.