Twin Bomb Threats Called in Resulted in White House/Senate Evacuations

Reporters in the White House Briefing Room seconds before the evacuation was initiated. Image-White House
Reporters in the White House Briefing Room seconds before the evacuation was initiated. Image-White House

Twin threats closed down the White House Briefing Room as well as a Senate hearing in the U.S. capitol today. It is still unknown if the two threats are connected.

A call was placed by an unknown caller reporting that there was a device placed in the Homeland Security Committee offices on the third floor at the Dirksen building. That building was hosting a hearing on the security flaws in the TSA at the time. The call resulted in an evacuation of the hearing as well as the building.

Hours later, another call was placed to the Washington Metropolitan Police, reporting a device in the White House briefing room. The briefing room was evacuated for a short time as a security sweep was initiated with bomb-sniffing dogs. Reporters were re-admitted approximately a half-hour later. The president, who was in the White House at the time, was not evacuated, the White House reports.