Are Chicago Bomb Scares Related?

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http://cbs2chicago.com/local/bomb.scares.Dirksen.2.1820040.html

Jul 22, 2010 5:46 pm US/Central

Are Chicago Bomb Scares Related?

Authorities Investigate Mysterious Packages Discovered At Multiple Locations

Across City

CHICAGO (CBS) Four bomb scares around Chicago in less than 24 hours. Are they

connected?

CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.

A suspicious package was left at the front door of the Planned Parenthood Center

on North La Salle Thursday morning. " This is for all the doctors and what you do

for women, " a note said. Inside the box: newspaper and a dead possum.

" We have security measures in place and obviously we take the security

precautions of our doctors very seriously, " Planned Parenthood spokesperson Beth

Kanter.

On July 3, a package with the same message was left in a planter outside Family

Planning Associates Medical Group on North Elston. That box had a dead skunk in

it.

" I'm concerned for the safety of my staff, my physicians and my patients, just

like Planned Parenthood is, I'm sure, " said an administrator who asked not to be

identified. " We're all very, very concerned in the community. "

What happened at Planned Parenthood Thursday was just one of four similar

incidents that took place in less than 24 hours in the city. The fire department

was called to the Dirksen Federal Building, where suspicious material was found

in an envelope inside a clerk's office on the 20th floor. It was determined not

to be a threat.

Also, overnight, officers found a suspicious cylinder at a bus shelter at

Columbus and North Water. A bomb and arson robot was used to check it out, and

the cylinder was blown up.

A suspicious package was also discovered on North Wells in Old Town Wednesday

night. That package turned out to be a radio speaker in a box.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Grant says there's a very focused and

coordinated response between law enforcement and the intelligence community when

incidents like this happen.

" I don't want to create a panic out there, " Grant said. " There are a lot of

alarming concerns inside the intelligence community about the growth of

domestic-inspired terrorism. "

" We take these threats very, very seriously, " Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis

said.

Of the incidents, he said, " We're looking to see if there are any commonalities.

We will pursue all investigative leads that are out there, hopefully bringing

the perpetrator to justice. "

Planned Parenthood has several surveillance cameras outside their building. The

organization has given the tape to law enforcement with the hope the person who

left that package was caught on tape.

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