White House Experiences Temporary Lockdown due to Unidentified Item, Later Confirmed as ‘Non-Hazardous’
According to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, the White House was placed under lockdown on Sunday. This measure was taken after an unknown package was discovered nearby, causing concern following three explosions that occurred earlier in Washington, D.C.
In a Twitter post, Guglielmi stated, “Precautionary closures were implemented around the White House complex this evening after an unknown item was discovered by Uniformed Division Officers.” He mentioned that the Fire Department and Emergency Services were contacted to assess the potential threat, as per standard procedure. Guglielmi assured that updates would be provided.
Approximately 20 minutes later, the promised update was shared. Guglielmi tweeted, “Precautionary closures will be lifted soon as DC Fire has cleared the unknown item as non-hazardous.” He expressed gratitude to the vigilant Secret Service uniformed agents and extended thanks to the Washington, D.C. police, fire, and EMS personnel.
The D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services reported that the fire activity had ceased at 9:42 p.m. Eastern Time. As a result, the 1800 block of Pennsylvania Ave. NW, between 17th and 18th Sts., and the 500-700 blocks of 17th Street, NW, between E and H Sts, were reopened.
Debra McKee shared a Twitter notice regarding the city’s response to the incident, which included an excerpt from the D.C. Alert page. Access to this information appeared to be restricted to district residents.
According to a report from Blaze media, the unidentified item near the White House had caused panic due to the bombings earlier that day in D.C. As stated in a previous Blaze report, three businesses in D.C. were targeted by bombs on Sunday morning.
The report mentioned that an explosive device detonated outside an ATM at Truist Bank in Northeast D.C. around 4:30 a.m., followed by an explosion damaging a Nike store in the same area approximately six minutes later. The Metropolitan Police revealed in a statement that a suspect threw a Molotov cocktail-like object at a Safeway store in the 300 block of 40th Street, Northeast, and then fled the scene in a vehicle.
The police confirmed that all three businesses sustained damage, and it appeared that the suspect targeted commercial establishments rather than individuals. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Law enforcement agencies are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for the explosions.
