Bomb threat prompts evacuation of White House reporters

Washington: White House reporters were evacuated from the media briefing room in the middle of press conference by the presidential spokesperson Josh Earnest, after law enforcement agencies received a bomb threat call.

The reporters who were escorted to the nearby Eisenhower Executive Building yesterday by Secret Service were allowed to re-enter the White House and the press briefing room about half an hour later, after it was found safe. President Barack Obama remained inside his Oval Office and the First Lady Michelle and the family inside the White House while the Secret Service did their security sweep.

The Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary attributed the evacuation to a "telephonic bomb threat concerning the White House briefing room" that was called in to the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington.

Following the evacuation, the briefing room was swept for explosives as a precaution. The evacuation was confined to the briefing room, the Secret Service said.

"At the time of the Briefing Room evacuation, the President remained in the Oval Office and was not evacuated by the Secret Service.

The First Lady, Malia and Sasha were in the residence and were not evacuated," Josh Earnest said.