A brief lockdown at the White House was lifted on Wednesday afternoon after authorities responded to concerns about an unattended package. The White House was on lockdown for about an hour. President Barack Obama was not there at the time.
The lockdown started after an unattended package was found in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. Park and Pennsylvania avenues were closed as a result of the incident. The Washington D.C. fire department and bomb technicians gave an all-clear after the package was determined not to be a safety risk.
In June, the White House press briefing room was evacuated because of a bomb threat. The White House was also locked down in early March after a nearby food truck exploded.