The White House was put on lockdown Monday morning over what initially appeared to be a yoga mat was thrown over the north fence, Newsweek reports.
According to NBC, Secret Service initially told reporters that the lockdown, which lasted roughly 45 minutes, happened because someone threw a sign and a yoga mat over the fence.
NEW: Secret Service agent with TV pool says the White House lockdown was caused by someone who threw a sign and yoga mat over the fence.
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) September 11, 2017
Later, the “yoga mat” was identified as a notebook (must have been a fairly large one). Both items were “deemed nonhazardous.”
Incident cleared, male subject arrested & taken to @DCPoliceDept. Items thrown were a sign and a notebook. Both were deemed nonhazardous.
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) September 11, 2017
It’s not uncommon for the White House to have a lockdown. Most often, those occur when “suspicious packages” are left along the fence surrounding the property. Since Monday is the 16th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, security was heightened at the time of the incident.
President Trump was not in the residence at the time of the incident. He was speaking at the Pentagon, where 189 people died during the September 11, 2001 attacks.
No word on what might have been written on the panic-inspiring sign or notebook.
