New suspicious package prompts LA mail facility evacuation, reportedly addressed to Maxine Waters
A suspicious package has triggered the evacuation of a mail facility in south Los Angeles, according to media citing local police. The package was reportedly addressed to Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters.
A bomb squad, as well as the Los Angeles Police Department and agents from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were dispatched to the scene to investigate the package.
The FBI has confirmed that there were two suspicious packages, both addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters. Earlier, one had been intercepted in Maryland on its way to Waters' office. That one was not mentioned in the FBI's press release.
In addition to the five packages referenced in our earlier statement, we have now confirmed two additional packages, both addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, that are similar in appearance.
— FBI (@FBI) October 25, 2018
Waters blamed Trump for the threats in a statement to Blavity, accusing him of "dog-whistling to his constituency, making them believe that their problems are caused by 'those people over there.'" She insisted that the president should take responsibility for the violence.
"I don't know whether the bombs are real or not, but we should not crawl under bed, close the doors, not go out, be afraid to go to rallies. We have to keep doing what we're doing in order to make this country right," she advised. "I ain't scared."
The bomb was discovered as Trump has been calling for the bomber to be brought to justice, assuring “the full weight of our government” is behind the investigation. “Acts or threats of political violence have no place of any kind in the United States of America,” he announced after meeting with the FBI, Justice Department, and DHS.
The earlier confirmed bombs, including one sent to George Soros on Monday night, were constructed with PVC pipe, which x-rays showed contained shrapnel, an explosive, and timers. Senior bomb technicians confirmed all the components required to detonate the devices were present. However, none of the bombs actually exploded.
Democrats blamed Trump, pointing out that every package recipient – Waters, Soros, Clinton, Obama, Holder, Wasserman-Schultz, and Brennan – was on the president’s unofficial “enemies list,” regularly coming in for criticism at rallies and on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Republicans brought up the fact that the bombs had all been safely discovered before doing any damage, suggesting the “attacks” might have been a ploy to garner sympathy (and votes) for the Democrats ahead of the election.
