Lafayette Park – Medill National Security Zone http://nationalsecurityzone.medill.northwestern.edu A resource for covering national security issues Tue, 15 Mar 2016 22:20:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Bomb threat sparks evacuation of White House press briefing http://nationalsecurityzone.medill.northwestern.edu/blog/2015/06/09/bomb-threat-sparks-evacuation-of-white-house-press-briefing/ Tue, 09 Jun 2015 20:19:32 +0000 http://nationalsecurityzone.medill.northwestern.edu/site/?p=22419 Continue reading →]]> WASHINGTON — The White House Briefing Room was evacuated Tuesday afternoon in the middle of a press conference in response to a bomb threat, the Secret Service confirmed via email.

“At approximately 1:53 p.m. today, a telephonic bomb threat concerning the White House Briefing Room was called into the Metropolitan Police Department,” a Secret Service statement said. “As a precaution, the White House Press Briefing Room was evacuated.”

According to the statement, no other parts of the White House were affected by the evacuation.

“Sweeps concluded at 2:36, the area was declared safe, all occupants were returned to the White House Press Briefing Room,” the statement continued.

You can view photos from the scene below:

  • Tourists look on as Secret Service officers checks IDs of individuals attempting to gain access to the cordoned-off area during a June 9 White House Press Briefing evacuation. (Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory/MEDILL NSJI)

Here is a moment-by-moment rundown of the evacuation, as narrated by reporters who were attending the briefing when the evacuation occurred via social media:

VIDEO: Security threat interrupts White House press briefing
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