Explosive sent to Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

An explosive addressed to actor Robert De Niro was found on Thursday at his production company in lower Manhattan, a day after similar devices were sent to several prominent Democrats and CNN. A law enforcement official said the envelope and printed address labels were similar to those on explosives sent to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others. An X-ray showed it contained a similar device resembling a pipe bomb, the New York Times reported.

Security personnel at De Niro's company, TriBeCa Productions, discovered the package about 5 a.m. and called the New York Police Department, whose bomb squad responded, officials briefed on the matter said. It was removed about 6.30 a.m. and taken to the Police Department's range at Rodman's Neck in the Bronx for disposal.

Law enforcement officials say that in all these incidents, neither bomb got close to its intended target and neither contained a written message. In an early morning tweet, US President Donald Trump did not address the bomb scare directly, but he accused the news media of fanning hatred.

Federal, state and local investigators in New York, Washington, Florida and Los Angeles were involved in the widening case, which has not resulted in any injuries but has sent a shock wave through the nation's political and media establishments.

The first bomb was found on Monday at the home of George Soros, a billionaire activist known to fund pro-democracy and liberal political groups. On Wednesday, officials said that similar devices were sent to several people, including Obama, Clinton, and Representative Maxine Waters of California -- all Democrats.

Another bomb, addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, was sent to the offices of CNN in midtown Manhattan. And yet another was sent to Eric H. Holder Jr., the Attorney General under Obama. However, it was addressed incorrectly due to which it went to the return address on the package -- the offices of Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat and former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

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