COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NY — The Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle was evacuated Wednesday morning as police rushed to investigate a “not fancy but definitely functional” explosive device and white powder mailed to the newsroom of CNN, according to the NYPD and a law enforcement source.
A pipe bomb — similar to those recently sent to the homes of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — and an envelope of white powder were found in the CNN offices at 10 Columbus Circle at about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, police said.
“We’ve see this before, we’ve seen worse, and we will not be intimidated,” said Police Commissioner James O’Neill. “There are no additional threats beyond that white powder.”
The bomb and an envelope filled with the unidentified power were removed from the building and will be investigated by police, O’Neill said. The envelope contained a return address of fomer chair of the Democratic National Committee Debbie Wasserman Shultz, according to photos released by the NYPD.
Police are asking anybody who notices a similar-looking package to contact law enforcement.
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CNN anchors Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow were reporting on suspicious explosive devices sent to Hillary and Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and George Soros when they were forced to evacuate, CNN reporter Oliver Darcy tweeted. The anchors continued to report from the street and called into their own show when the broadcast was shifted to Washington D.C.
Whole Foods, the Shops at Columbus Circle and the CNN newsroom were evacuated as the bomb squad rushed to the scene, police said.
The suspicious package was mailed to the Time Warner Center and was flagged in the building’s mail room, NYPD officials said. The apparent bomb consists of pipes and wires.
Police have been sent to patrol other New York City news outlets and high-profile landmarks, but no other suspicious packages had been reported in the city as of 12 p.m., according to the NYPD.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo held a press conference at Columbus Circle Wednesday afternoon to commend city law enforcement agencies, CNN and to ask New Yorkers remain calm.
“We are New Yorkers; we are smart, we are tough, we are resilient and we will not allow these terrorist thugs to change the way we live our lives,” said Cuomo. “Terrorism only works if you let it work.”
Cuomo also announced a suspicious package had been reported at his Manhattan office as the 1 p.m. press conference was taking place. A spokesman for the governor said the package contained files on the Proud Boys — a far-right group recently involved in a New York City streetfight — and was deemed safe and unrelated to the Columbus Circle package.
According to the Secret Service, the package addressed to Hillary Clinton at her Westchester County, New York home was intercepted late Tuesday and a second package was addressed to Obama’s residence in Washington on Wednesday.
The discovery of the devices comes after an explosive that contained bomb components was left outside a home owned by George Soros, one of the country’s richest men and a frequent target of the far-right, on Monday.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders condemned the “attempted attacks” as the act of “cowards” in a statement released Wednesday.
“These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Sanders said.
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The evacuation of the Time Warner Center was calm and efficient, according to New Yorkers who fled the Columbus Circle building Wednesday morning.
“There wasn’t a sense of panic or fear at all,” said Andrew Voirol.
“It wasn’t scary because they have done drills in the past,” said Luis, a Time Warner Center kitchen worker who declined to give his last name. “They sounded the alarm and then we came out.”
CNN president Jeff Zucker confirmed in a statement sent to employees that the network’s other bureaus have been checked and cleared for suspicious devices.
Patch editors Kathleen Culliton and Colin Miner contributed to this report.
Photos by Brendan Krisel and courtesy of @KevinKwanNY/Twitter