White House Placed On Lockdown Over Suspicious Package: Report

Updated as of 3:59 p.m. EDT: The package found in Lafayette Park that caused the White House lockdown earlier has been deemed safe, according to the U.S. Secret Service. The lockdown has been lifted, and streets around the White House in northwest Washington were in the process of reopening, according to reports.

Updated as of 3:34 p.m. EDT: The suspicious package that led to the White House lockdown was found in Lafayette Park, located just north of the White House, multiple reports said. The park, as well as Pennsylvania Avenue, have also been closed, reports said.

Original story: The White House was reportedly placed on lockdown Wednesday afternoon, according to witnesses, Reuters said via Twitter. The reason for the lockdown was not immediately clear, but U.S. President Barack Obama was said to not be in the White House at the time.

One White House reporter confirmed the lockdown in a tweet. According to one tweet, a suspicious package had been found in a park near the White House. The Secret Service also attributed the lockdown to an unattended package located in a park nearby, according to Reuters. It was immediately unclear which park the package was reportedly found in.

The last time the White House was in lockdown was in late July, when a woman was arrested for jumping a bike rack in front of the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. The woman was taken into custody directly after she jumped over the rack, authorities said, and the White House was on lockdown only briefly.