A parcel that ignited at a Washington DC postal building on Friday was similar to two sent to Maryland state offices the day before, officials say.<\/p>\n
No-one was reported injured in the incident. The building was evacuated.
\nPolice earlier said two parcels sent to Maryland government offices that emitted smoke when opened contained notes criticising road signs that urge citizens to report suspicious activity.
\nThe envelope was addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
\nOfficials said the letter ignited at a postal sorting facility in Washington, several miles from the White House, as it was thrown by a worker into a sorting bin on Friday afternoon.
\nWashington DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier described the envelope as “popping, smoking, and with a brief flash of fire, and then it went out – extinguished itself”.
\n‘Cowardly’ act
\nWithout offering detail, Ms Lanier said the parcel intercepted in Washington was “similar in nature” to the two found in Maryland on Thursday.
\nWashington Mayor Vincent Gray said the perpetrator was “incredibly irresponsible” and described the act as “absolutely cowardly and reprehensible”.
\nThe notes in the Maryland parcels warned authorities: “You have created a self fulfilling prophecy.”
\nOne was opened at the Jeffrey Building in downtown Annapolis and another at the Maryland Department of Transportation building in Hanover.
\nBoth packages, which released smoke and odours, were described as being roughly the size of books.
\nOne was addressed to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and the other to state Transportation Secretary Beverley Swaim-Staley.
\nThe remnants of the packages have been taken by the FBI for forensic analysis.
\nMaryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Police, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are investigating the incidents.
\nThe message in the packages was an apparent reference to anti-terrorism signs warning Maryland residents and highway motorists to be vigilant, and soliciting investigative tips.
\n“Somebody doesn’t like seeing that sign,” Mr O’Malley said on Thursday.
\nThe contents of the Washington parcel have not been revealed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A parcel that ignited at a Washington DC postal building on Friday was similar to two sent to Maryland state offices the day before, officials say. No-one was reported injured in the incident. The building was evacuated. Police earlier said two parcels sent to Maryland government offices that emitted smoke when opened contained notes criticising […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-273160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n