A New York newspaper this week said that it would hire armed guards because it was sent "suspicious white powder" after publishing the names and addresses of gun owners in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties.
"The Journal News staff is back at work this evening after officials deemed an envelope, containing a suspicious white powder and found with the mail, was not a threat," the paper reported on Wednesday.
White Plains Public Safety Commissioner David Chong said his department would investigate if the incident was related to a map of pistol permit holders that was published late last month after the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
"That would only be conjecture on my part right now," Chong said. "We'll investigate this as we would any similar threat."
New York State Rifle and Pistol Association President Tom King, however, told CNN on Thursday that there was no way a gun owner would have threatened the paper.
"Your assuming that the powder and the threats came from us, I don't believe that they did," King explained. "I think that whoever perpetrated that should be found and should be prosecuted. But what I'm saying is, I don't think you'll find it's anyone from the gun community that did it."
The Rockland County Times reported on Monday that The Journal News had hired armed security guards after receiving an alarming amount of "negative correspondence" by email and phone.
To make matters worse, blogger Christopher Fountain retaliated against the paper by publishing the names and home addresses of Journal News staff. That information was seen by thousands after popular conservative blogger Instapundit linked to the post.
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander," King insisted to CNN. "And if our information is public knowledge, well, then their information is public knowledge."
"I'm sure that the blogger will take down the list as soon as the gun names come down."
