Two Injured in Maryland Mail Blasts

Two explosive devices embedded in pieces of mail detonated within minutes of each other in two government buildings in Maryland on Thursday, injuring two employees and leading local officials to believe that the incidents were related.  —KA

The Christian Science Monitor:

The first incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. at the Jeffrey Building in downtown Annapolis, the state capital. The building contains gubernatorial offices including the Office of Homeland Security and the Veterans Affairs department. When the package was opened, it triggered what the state police described as a flash of fire, smoke, and a sulphur smell. For the employee who opened the package, the result was “fingers being singed,” Shipley said.

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AP / Susan Walsh

Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley holds up a copy of a photo of a letter that was mailed to Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, in Annapolis on Thursday.