CNN finds itself at centre of the news
CNN found itself not just reporting the news, but part of it on Wednesday, as it evacuated its Manhattan offices following the discovery of what police said was a crude explosive device — one of a wave of would-be bombs aimed at media organisations and leading Democratic figures.
Viewers could hear alarms going off during the network’s morning broadcast, as anchors Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow were discussing the first reports of bombs sent to the homes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama and billionaire Democratic donor George Soros.
Sciutto and Harlow hurriedly left the set, and CNN went to a commercial break. The network then temporarily switched its coverage from New York to its Washington studios — but then switched back to the anchors, who reported from the Manhattan sidewalk outside CNN’s building, amid the noise of pedestrians, sirens and honking traffic.
The device, apparently a pipe bomb, was removed from CNN’s offices on Columbus Circle by New York Police Department technicians before noon, while network anchors continued to report from the street. The CNN building remained cleared until about 3:45pm because of a suspicious white powder that came in the package with the explosive device, delivered via courier.
The sending of suspicious parcels to Soros, Clinton, Obama and CNN strongly suggested that the sender or senders were motivated by animus toward people whom President Donald Trump has frequently criticised.
Trump has singled out CNN repeatedly in his denunciations of the “fake news” media, and he has characterised the press as “the enemy of the people.”
Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, drew a connection between the president’s rhetoric and the attempted attack in a sharply worded statement released on Twitter hours after the scare.
“There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media,” Zucker wrote.
“The president, and especially the White House press secretary, should understand their words matter.”
About 200 employees cleared out after the package was discovered in a mailroom. Some described a confusing scene as the alarms sounded and employees left laptops, coats and even wallets behind.
CNN anchor Kate Bolduan was struck by the “layer upon layer upon layer” of law enforcement officers flooding into the building as workers streamed out. The employees were pushed about a half block away by local authorities as a massive NYPD bombdisposal truck drove up the building, she said.
TV trucks from other news organisations pulled up nearby, creating a traffic-stopping spectacle in which the news media covered one of its own.
Bomber likely left behind mass of clues
Investigators examining the explosive devices sent to highprofile targets in Washington and New York will be working to get forensic clues to help identify who sent them, gathering fingerprints and DNA evidence while tracking the origin of the packages and the components used to make the bombs.
Larry Johnson, a former head of criminal investigations for the US Secret Service who also served as a special agent in charge of the presidential protective detail, said bomb makers usually leave evidence behind. “If there is a human involved, there is a high probability you’re going to get somewhere investigatively,” he said.
Johnson said it is highly likely that the person or people who built the bombs have been previously flagged by law enforcement.
The Secret Service maintains an extensive database of individuals and groups who have made past threats against presidents or other top political leaders, either through letters, emails or on social media.
“A good percentage of the time, this is not the first time whoever is responsible for this will have stuck their neck out,” Johnson said.