Authorities find suspicious package at Time Warner Center in NYC for second straight day

by TheHill.com - 10/25/18 8:40 PM ET

The Time Warner Center, which houses CNN’s offices in New York City, was partially evacuated on Thursday as law enforcement investigated two unattended packages at the building.

“As a precaution, the NYPD is currently evaluating a pair of unattended packages at the Time Warner Center Mall, Columbus Circle in Manhattan,” the New York City Police Department wrote on Twitter shortly after 8 p.m.

As a precaution, the NYPD is currently evaluating a pair of unattended packages at the Time Warner Center Mall, Columbus Circle in Manhattan. More information will be released as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/VqrzHZJ6zv

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 26, 2018

The police department sent out another tweet at about 8:45 p.m. indicating that the package had been deemed non-hazardous.

“The report of a suspicious package at the Time Warner Building has been investigated by NYPD officers and has been deemed SAFE, no hazardous items found,” the department tweeted.

The report of a suspicious package at the Time Warner Building has been investigated by NYPD officers and has been deemed SAFE, no hazardous items found.

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 26, 2018

NBC New York reported that a package was found at the shopping center at the base of the building, and that the package does not appear similar to others addressed to CNN and prominent Democrats that were discovered Wednesday.

CNN’s Brian Stelter said that while the mall area of the building was evacuated, the network’s offices were not.

Video on social media showed a heavy police presence outside the building and scores of people milling about who had been evacuated from the building.

“All of this area was evacuated yesterday, it is happening again.” – @MiguelMarquez reports from outside of the Time Warner Center in New York City as the entire mall is cleared out following the appearance of a suspicious package.https://t.co/UVipgvjnBA pic.twitter.com/ZWQpFPV9KC

— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) October 26, 2018

Maybe just frayed nerves after two days of bomb scares, but suspicious package at the Time Warner center brought in bomb sniffing dogs and sent shoppers into the streets. @ABC7NY @nypd bomb squad checking it out pic.twitter.com/Ep4JWVnphR

— Jim Dolan (@jimdolan7) October 26, 2018

Police activity inside the Time Warner Center: pic.twitter.com/vkzzjfuykG

— Kurt Chirbas (@kchirbas) October 26, 2018

Thursday’s investigation and subsequent evacuations came roughly 36 hours after the Time Warner Center was evacuated because of an explosive device sent to CNN.

The package was similar to others intercepted on Wednesday that were addressed to former President Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

On Thursday, authorities handled suspicious packages addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and actor Robert de Niro.

Each individual has been critical of Trump, in turn lashed out them in response during his presidency.

The spate of bomb threats has put the nation on edge, with politicians on both sides of the aisle calling for a calming of political hostilities.

President Trump decried acts of political violence and called for unity in response. However, he appeared to blame the media for inflaming divisions both at his campaign rally on Wednesday night and on Twitter Thursday morning.

“A very big part of the Anger we see toda in our society is cauesd by purposely false and inaccurate reporting of Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News,” Trump tweeted. “It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!”

Critics accused Trump of inflaming political divisions himself with repeated and heated attacks on Democrats and the media, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”

Tags Barack Obama Donald Trump Eric Holder Hillary Clinton Joe Biden Maxine Waters