Between October 22 and 25, 2018, a total of at least ten suspected parcel improvised explosive devices (IEDs) addressed to high-profile individuals in Washington D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Florida, California, and New York were intercepted. Two of the suspicious packages were addressed to individuals in Manhattan, New York. The suspected parcel IEDs all reportedly share similarities in packaging, composition, and construction.
"First and foremost my message today is that New Yorkers are safe," said Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill. "There are no current credible threats to any individuals, organizations or locations here in New York City. New Yorkers are safe but everyone, all 8.6 million residents and the millions of visitors who come here every year should always remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. As always I urge people to alert us to anything that might seem strange or out of place or anything that makes them feel uncomfortable."
"I want to express my appreciation to all the men and women of the NYPD who have done an outstanding job yesterday and today addressing this situation, and to all our federal and state partners," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Everyone has been working together to address this forthrightly. One of the things that we emphasize in a moment like this is that you're going to see a lot of police presence. It's important that we proactively take steps to protect those who have come under attack. Clearly what we have seen in the last few days is an attack on media outlets, an attack on prominent public figures. We're going to make sure there's expanded presence as long as we need it, to show very vividly that New York City takes these issues seriously, that we are defending people who are coming under attack, that part of how we protect the democratic process is to show that threats like this are not taken lightly."
Deputy Commissioner John Miller offered an outline of this morning's events. "This begins in the very early hours of the morning when a retired NYPD Intelligence Bureau Detective, who was awake and watching the news, saw the image of the packaging that has been common to most of these devices as they have turned up in various locations," Said Deputy Commissioner Miller. "And it struck him that that looked very much like a package he had seen Tuesday in mail he was to screen for Robert DeNiro productions at their offices on Greenwich Street.
"Based on his experience, he knew how to contact the Bomb Squad directly. He spoke with the Bomb Squad. They advised him to also notify the 1st Precinct and they went directly to the scene. They were met by the Emergency Service, who were at the 1st Precinct, who were able to locate based on the security director's instructions.
"The Bomb Squad was then able to use their expertise and their equipment to safely package that, intact, remove it safely from the building, and then place it in the Total Containment Vessel, which is our bomb transport vehicle and bring it to the Rodman's Neck range, where it joined the other devices that we got from CNN, and from the FBI and Westchester County authorities. By late this afternoon, all of those devices should've been transported by the FBI lab in Quantico to be examined by their explosives people, so that all the evidence from all of these incidents are in one place."
The NYPD continues to work closely with the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as investigative efforts into these incidents move forward. The public is asked that if they see something, call 911, or call 1-888-NYC-SAFE.
