White House On Lockdown Due To Unattended Package Nearby

According to the secret service, the White House is on security lockdown due to an unattended package found in a nearby park.

The security procedure was triggered when a package was found across the street in Lafayette Park, Secret Service spokeswoman Nicole Mainor told Reuters. It was also reported that President Obama was not at the White House at the time of the lockdown

Bomb technicians and the DC fire department were called to the scene.

We are in Lock Down here at White House More to Come! @JCBua @whpresscorps pic.twitter.com/nc9w88w390

— Jon-Christopher Bua (@JCBua) September 16, 2015

Update: The lockdown was lifted shortly after the package was declared safe by the Secret Service.

ABC News reporter Jon Parkinson tweeted the package was “declared safe” and all was clear at about 3:40 p.m., citing Service Service spokesman Brian Leary

Twitter users joked that the package may have been the clock that the student Ahmed Mohamed made, because Obama, only hours earlier, had extended a White House invitation to the Muslim teen who had been falsely accused of bringing a bomb to his school

Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.

— President Obama (@POTUS) September 16, 2015