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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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A spokesperson for the U.S. Capitol Police told Newsweek that a "suspicious package" that prompted a lockdown of the Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters in Washington, D.C., has been cleared.
The first reports of the lockdown came in just before 8:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, when NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns posted the news on X, formerly Twitter. By 9:18 a.m. ET, "the suspicious package has been cleared," an emailed statement from U.S. Capitol Police said.
"DEVELOPING: RNC HQ in DC is under lockdown until further notice. Hazmat team is on site sources tell me," Burns posted.
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The Metropolitan Police Department also told Newsweek that it responded to the call but directed all questions to U.S. Capitol Police.
The suspicious package contained two vials of blood, the U.S. Capitol Police told Newsweek. Police responded to a call about the package early Wednesday morning.
"At approximately 7:45 a.m., the USCP responded to the 300 block of First Street, SE, for the report of a suspicious package," the statement said. "The package was just cleared by our Hazardous Incident Response Division. It contained two vials of blood. The source of the package and its contents will be further investigated."
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It is unclear if the blood in the vials was human.
Videos of the scene showed police tape around the building with a law enforcement presence. RNC staff were reportedly informed of the lockdown in an email.
Newsweek reached out to the RNC by email and online contact form for comment.
No immediate injuries were reported, and it's unclear if a suspect connected to the package was arrested. It also is unclear if the RNC headquarters has reopened.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer also posted a video of the scene on X, formerly Twitter, at 9:13 a.m. ET, saying that the RNC office was "currently under LOCKDOWN with a Hazmat team on site."
It isn't the first time that the RNC headquarters has been targeted by a suspicious package. An unidentified suspect placed pipe bombs at Democrat and Republican headquarters ahead of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Newsweek previously reported.
The first of the bombs was found outside the RNC headquarters on January 6. A woman reportedly stumbled across the device while on her way to do laundry near the building.
Neither of the bombs detonated, and the suspect has yet to be caught.
Update 5/22/24, 10:20 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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