LATEST: Secret Service says suspicious package not sent to White House, were sent to Obama, CNN, Clintons

ABC NEWS – President Trump at a White House event said, “The full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and bring those responsible to justice.”

— Law enforcement officials said that based on the components and construction of the six pipe bomb-like devices, preliminary information leads investigators to fear the intent of the senders was to maim or kill.

— While some of the devices arrived in envelopes with stamps, authorities do not believe they were delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, where they likely would have been discovered sooner.

A series of explosive devices was sent to Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, a number of other prominent Democrats and the New York City building that houses CNN, sparking condemnation from law enforcement officials and elected officials.

The spate of incidents come on the heels of a pipe bomb found Monday in the mailbox at the New York home of billionaire George Soros, a supporter of Democrats who is often criticized by right-wing groups.

All of the packages were intercepted before they reached the officials they were addressed to. It was not clear if the incidents were linked, but officials feared that more devices and packages may already have been sent.

An FBI official condemned what he said appeared to be an attempt to further political aims.

“The utilization of violence in order to further one’s own political agenda is unacceptable to us, and we will not rest until we … stop these hazardous devices from being mailed, and bring the individual or individuals to justice,” FBI official Bryan Paarmann said at a press conference in New York City.

President Trump at the White House said, “This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear and sacred as Americans.”

He said his administration is “extremely angry” about the incidents. “The full weight of our government is being deployed to conduct this investigation and bring those responsible for these despicable acts to justice.”

ABC has confirmed discovery of the following suspected explosive devices or suspicious packages:

— A pipe bomb was found Monday afternoon in the home mailbox of Soros in Westchester County north of New York City.

— A package addressed to Hillary Clinton containing an explosive device was intercepted Tuesday night by the Secret Service at a screening facility before it reached her home, also in Westchester County. Former President Bill Clinton was home at the time. The package was discovered and screened away from the residence, a source said. 

— A package with an explosive device that was addressed to former President Barack Obama at his Washington, D.C., home was intercepted Wednesday morning at a Secret Service mail-screening facility before it reached the home.

— Also on Wednesday morning, a package containing an explosive and suspicious powder was found in the mail room of the Time Warner Center in Manhattan where CNN is located. It was addressed to John Brennan, former director of the CIA. New York City police officers were present when the device was found.

— A suspicious package addressed to Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California was intercepted by Capitol Hill police in Washington, D.C.

— A suspicious package was also mailed to former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, but it remains unclear where the package was found.

The FBI, ATF agents, the NYPD and other law enforcement agencies are among those investigating the incidents.

Law enforcement officials said Wednesday afternoon that based on the components and construction of the pipe bomb-like devices found, preliminary information leads investigators to fear the intent of the senders was to maim or kill.

While some of the devices arrived in envelopes with stamps, authorities do not believe they were delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, where they likely would have been discovered sooner

“We will not allow these terrorist thugs to change the way we live our lives,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Hillary Clinton, speaking at a campaign event in Florida, said, “We are fine, thanks to the men and women of the Secret Service who intercepted the package addressed to us long before it reached our home.”

“But it is a troubling time, isn’t it?” Clinton said. “And it’s a time of deep divisions and we have to do everything we can to bring our country together.”

Security was tight around the event in Coral Gables where she spoke. People and cars were kept away from the perimeter of the building, and police had closed off surrounding streets.

The Clintons’ daughter, Chelsea, tweeted Wednesday, “Every day, I am grateful to the women and men of the United States Secret Service. Thank you.”

The device sent to see CNN appeared to be a “live explosive,” New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill said.

The package containing the device sent to CNN also had in it a suspicious powder, said John Miller, NYPD deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism.

Police sources also told ABC News that the package found in the CNN building appeared to be a metal pipe with wires. Floors above and below the mail room of Time Warner Center were evacuated.

Former NYPD chief of detectives Robert Boyce, who is now an ABC News contributor, said police are on high alert.

“They’re covering all the locations… They have the ability to do that. These are plans that we, the NYPD, goes through and does drills for,” Boyce said. “Right now the big thing is rendering the devices safe.”

The NYPD Intelligence, Counterterrorism and Bomb Squad teams told ABC News they were also increasing patrols at locations in New York City associated with the individuals who were purported targets of the other explosives — George Soros, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Obama — and inspecting packages delivered to locations associated with those individuals.

New York police also said they are increasing patrols at the offices of other media.

Read More: https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspicious-package-found-clintons-home-north-york-city/story?id=58713254