U.S. Police started investigation on the pipe bombs found at 13 mailboxes in 3 rural towns in central area including Illinois.
AP reported on the 3rd that bombs were found at the 8 towns on the both sides of Mississippi River that four postal workers and two residents were injured by opening the mailboxes doors at 5 areas including Mount Carroll in Illinois and Asbury in Iowa.
5 bombs were found at 5 places in Nebraska State, which are 560 km away to the west from the place on the 4th, but they did not go off.
Officials said that the bombs in plastic boxes were not sent by mail but were instead placed in the mailboxes, and the bombs of three-quarter inch steel pipes with a 9-volt battery attached appeared to be triggered by being touched or moved.
There were notes, which anti-government propaganda were typewritten on, with the bombs, and the notes said, “ mailboxes are exploding! … I`m obtaining your attention in the only way I can. More info is on its way. ” The sender of the mails was `attention getters’.
An official of FBI said, “ one of the notes found in Nebraska on the 4th has the same handwriting that the note found on the 3rd has. It seems to be the work of an anti-government activist or domestic terrorists. ” And he requested the residents not to touch the mailbox if it has a steel pipe, wire, and a battery in it.
U.S. Postal Service stopped delivering mails to the places where bombs were found, and urged resident to leave the mailboxes open.