U.S. Capitol Police have issued an all-clear after placing the Republican National Committee headquarters on lockdown over a reported suspicious package at the building Wednesday morning.
The area outside the RNC headquarters near the U.S. Capitol Complex was closed off by police around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday. Law enforcement told congressional offices they were looking into a “suspicious substance” and advised staff to avoid the area, according to a notice reported by Axios. Hazmat teams and a large police presence were observed by onlookers. The RNC headquarters is located at 310 First St. SE.
“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,” the Capitol Police confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
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The RNC said in a statement: “Today, vials of blood were sent to RNC Headquarters in DC. We are thankful to law enforcement, who responded quickly and ensured everyone’s safety. The lockdown has been cleared and staff has resumed their office duties because we remain unintimidated and undeterred in our efforts to elect President Trump to the White House.”
The closed-off area was near the Capitol South Metro station. Scripps News reported that RNC staffers were told the building was under lockdown due to an “ongoing situation” and said they would be permitted into the building after Capitol Police gave the all-clear. As of 9:40 a.m., onlookers reported staff was still evacuated.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
