Suspicious Package Shuts Down News Station, Part of Town

Oct. 30, 2007
Package in Edmonton, Alberta, appeared to be a bomb aimed for news station

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Police shut down part of Edmonton's downtown for three hours after a suspicious package was found outside a Canadian news station's building, authorities said.

A package with a note that said in part, "tick, tick, tick" was found on the sidewalk outside CityTV's building Sunday afternoon by a security guard who called police.

A two-block radius was cordoned off by police for most of the afternoon until bomb unit technicians used a water cannon on the package and then declared the area safe.

No one was allowed in the building, which temporarily houses the Art Gallery of Alberta.

CityTV, has not commented on the incident.

In 1999, a letter bomb disguised as a videotape was sent to the channel. It exploded when the package was opened, leaving two people with minor injuries.

A man later pleaded guilty to that bombing, as well as sending another letter bomb to the police chief in Calgary, Alberta. Raymond Neal Best was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

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